SCOTLAND

Departmental Information Officers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office currently have four members of staff who are responsible for internal communications, strategic planning, website, answering media enquiries and handling the media work of our two Ministers in London and Scotland. They also support the work of the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what Parliamentary ICT's budget is for the provision of IT support for hon. Members in  (a) Westminster and  (b) constituency offices in 2010-11.

John Thurso: PICT IT support services are provided to all users of parliamentary IT. The total cost of this support is £1.87 million for 2010-11. The service is not disaggregated for specific user groups. However 60% of the calls derive from Members of the House of Commons and their staff, making the proportionate cost of IT support to Members of the House of Commons and their staff £1.122 million pa.
	The IT support service is based at Westminster and provides telephone and face to face engineering support on the parliamentary estate. The service provides telephone and remote handling support to locations away from the parliamentary estate, including constituency offices.
	There is no specific funding for IT support to Members in constituencies. When required, emergency support for the repair of loan equipment is provided by an external suppler under the guarantee bought with the equipment. Members are entitled to have broadband connection provided to locations away from the parliamentary estate for up to three locations at a maximum cost of £852 per annum and support for this is provided by the external supplier. Two PICT engineers (included in the Westminster budget) will travel to a constituency office in exceptional circumstances when these external services fail to resolve a technical problem.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Food

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department guidelines on ensuring that food used for his Department's official functions is of domestic origin.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has no formal guidelines on ensuring that food for official Department functions is of domestic origin. However, it is the policy of our catering provider to work with small local suppliers (accounting for over 65% of its fresh produce) where possible, in order to reduce food miles and support local communities.
	The Department's staff handbook states that the offering of hospitality should not be regarded as the normal way of conducting business. On each occasion staff should consider carefully what form and extent of hospitality should be offered and if it can be justified. In addition all official expenditure on hospitality should be made on the basis that it is directly and significantly conducive to the furtherance of the business of the Department.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since its creation.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not hold this level of skills information about our staff. However, our library services are run by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

High Speed 2: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits applying to the European Commission for funding for High Speed 2 from the TEN-T programme.

Philip Hammond: The report from HS2 Ltd., published in March 2010, indicated that TEN-T funding for HS2 may be possible. HS2 Ltd.'s report is available at
	www.dft.gov.uk/highspeedrail

London and Southeastern Railway: Fares

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the 11.8% increase in rail fares by Southeastern for commuters from Tonbridge was almost three times the 3.1% increase in rail fares by First Capital Connect for commuters from Brighton.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 4 February 2011
	The franchise agreement sets out the caps that apply to increases in fares in respect of the maximum increase in any individual regulated fare and a weighted average of all regulated fares. Train operators are permitted to decide increases to individual fares so long as the fares increases are compliant with those caps.

London and Southeastern Railway: Fares

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the maximum permissible fare increase for season ticket-holders travelling from  (a) West Malling to London with Southeastern,  (b) Tonbridge to London with Southeastern and  (c) Edenbridge to London with Southeastern on the Uckfield line is under existing franchises and regulation of rail fares.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 4 February 2011
	The franchise agreement sets out the caps that apply to increases in fares in respect of the maximum increase in any individual regulated fare and a weighted average of all regulated fares. Train operators are permitted to decide increases to individual fares so long as the fares increases are compliant with those caps.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Closures

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what type and level of written risk assessments have been undertaken in connection with proposed Maritime and Coastguard Agency coastguard station closures.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 4 February 2011
	There are no proposals to close coastguard stations. I am consulting on proposals for the reorganisation of Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres.
	The assessment of risk is an integral part of all policy development. In developing these proposals the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has at all stages assessed every element against the systemic risks to delivery of our national Coastguard service.
	As these proposals are fundamentally systems-driven and not location orientated, no separate 'risk assessment' has been carried out in respect of each Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre location, although a range of factors was considered in determining our proposed closures or conversions to 'daytime' operation.
	A formal risk assessment covering the overall UK delivery operation will be published this week.

Oil: Emergencies

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of  (a) emergency planning and  (b) contingency planning in place to deal with major oil spillages off the UK coast.

Michael Penning: The National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (NCP) details the UK emergency and contingency planning for oil spillages off the UK coast; this document is regularly refreshed to ensure it remains up to date.
	Additionally, contingency planning for dealing with major oil spills is subject to a major review in light of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. The Oil Spill Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) has been established to undertake this review, which will inform the next refresh of the NCP.

Sea Rescue

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received representations from the government of France on his proposed changes to coastguard coverage; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: We have received representations from the French Government. They were in the context of their concerns regarding the removal of the emergency towing vessel, the Anglian Monarch, which covers the Dover Strait area and is subject to co-funding arrangements with France.

Transport: Co-operatives

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential barriers to entry for co-operatives within the  (a) rail, ( b) bus and  (c) ports industry; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: holding answer 7 January 2011
	 The Department for Transport is in the early stages of developing a framework for assessing applications for employee co-operatives. Applications to form employee co-operatives will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
	Officials across the Department are working closely with the Cabinet Office, which is developing central guidance for Departments in this area.
	No formal assessment of barriers to entry for co-operatives within the  (a) rail,  (b) bus and  (c) ports industry has been made, though we recognise that many of the undertakings in the transport sector are private companies, and in such cases public sector co-operatives might not be relevant.

Transport: Co-operatives

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials of his Department are working on the use of co-operative mutual models of service delivery within his Department's  (a) International Strategy Directorate,  (b) Domestic Directorate,  (c) Major Projects and London Directorate and  (d) General Counsels Office.

Norman Baker: holding answer 7 February 2011
	 The Department for Transport is in the early stages of developing a framework for assessing applications for employee co-operatives.
	A small number of officials from the Department's Corporate Group and General Counsel's Office have been involved with this work to date. They are working closely with the Cabinet Office, which is developing central guidance for Departments. Wider involvement of officials across the Department will follow with the finalisation of this guidance.

Transport: Snow and Ice

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with  (a) rail operators and  (b) airlines on the recent severe weather conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Officials in the Department for Transport closely monitor rail performance and are in regular contact with train operating companies. During the recent period of severe weather, officials were in daily contact with train operators to ensure services were being maintained.
	During the worst of the weather, Ministers and departmental officials have maintained discussions with affected operators and Network Rail through personal contact and telephone conference. I have been kept informed of the operational status of rail services during the most severe weather conditions.
	During this period, the Secretary of State for Transport spoke to both train operating companies and Network rail regarding severe weather issues. He also spoke with Easyjet, the chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority and with British Airways on three occasions.
	I have recently discussed the rail industry's response to the crisis at a meeting with senior representatives of Network Rail and the train operators. I have also chaired a discussion on the performance of airports during the severe winter weather within the South East Airports Taskforce.

Trust Ports

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2011,  Official Report, column 265W, on trust ports, what procedures in the Harbours Act 1964 are referred to in the Answer.

Michael Penning: As indicated in the previous answer to my hon. Friend on 26 January 2011,  Official Report, column 265W, the Marine Management Organisation is now responsible for determining harbour revision orders. Guidance and further information on the procedures for obtaining an order are available from this organisation's website at:
	http://marinemanagement.org.uk/works/harbour/documents/harbour_guide.pdf

Trust Ports

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the role and function of the Marine Management Organisation for the purposes of determining whether a harbour revision order should be used to set aside clauses in the Ports Act 1991 which allow him to require a trust port to change its constitution and enter the private sector.

Michael Penning: We have no plans to review. The Marine Management Organisation is an executive non-departmental public body established and given powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Since 1 April 2010, it has been responsible for determining all new applications for harbour revision and empowerment orders.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: Employment

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people are employed in the arts sector in each local authority area in the North East; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not hold this information. However, Arts Council England has provided figures relating to the number of arts sector staff, in each employment category, in their Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs). The 2009-10 figures for the North East are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  North East  Permanent full-time  Permanent part-time  Contractual 
			 Alnwick 7 5 33 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 3 11 6 
			 Darlington 26 21 116 
			 Derwentside 4 0 170 
			 Durham 7 2 456 
			 Gateshead 221 340 735 
			 Hartlepool 2 0 22 
			 Middlesbrough 22 13 199 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 170 145 889 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 47 27 210 
			 North Tyneside 2 4 22 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1 8 93 
			 South Tyneside 21 27 88 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 23 18 49 
			 Sunderland 31 47 30 
			 Tynedale 15 16 40 
			 Total 602 684 3,158

Broadband

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the merits of taking steps to assist local authorities in the provision of universal wireless broadband access.

Edward Vaizey: We have adopted a technology neutral approach to our plans for nationwide broadband access. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is working with local authorities in England and the devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, to support the development of project proposals including through the production of local broadband plans for possible Government funding. Technology solutions will vary from location to location but are likely to include a mix of technologies including fixed, fixed wireless and satellite broadband.

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to monitor broadband projects which have been funded by regional development agencies (RDAs) after the abolition of RDAs.

John Penrose: Closure of RDA projects will be dealt with as part of the overall process of abolition.
	Where any broadband networks supported by RDAs continue to be rolled out after abolition, Broadband Delivery UK will monitor developments as appropriate.

Coastal Areas: Hotels

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department is taking steps to promote smaller hotels in seaside towns; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: Smaller hotels in seaside towns will benefit both from VisitEngland's (VE's) thematic marketing which will be promoting coastline and coastal resorts, and from activities associated with 'attract and disperse' marketing which will also include coastal resorts. VE's main priority is to grow the domestic tourism market, encouraging more people to take holidays and make visits within this country. Stakeholders across the industry will benefit from this approach.

Cultural Relations: Australia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his policy is on the repatriation to Australia of Australian indigenous human remains held by institutions in the UK.

Edward Vaizey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 December 2010,  Official Report, column 329W.

Departmental Manpower

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) Ofcom worked wholly on digital economy policy and implementation (i) on the most recent date for which figures are available and (ii) on 1 January 2010.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not hold information on the exact number of staff who worked wholly on the digital economy policy and implementation.
	However, there are approximately 32 staff in Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and an approximate figure of 40 staff from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who work across Media and Communications issues as at 1 January 2010.
	Two members of Ofcom staff worked wholly on digital economy policy and implementation on the most recent date for which figures were available. No members of Ofcom staff worked wholly on this area on 1 January 2010.
	Other members of Ofcom staff also work on digital economy policy and implementation as needed on an ad hoc basis.

Gambling: Internet

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the compound problem gambling prevalence figure was for all forms of remote gambling taken together, online gambling, online betting, spread betting and betting exchanges, calculated on the basis of the dataset of the 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey on the latest date for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The information requested can be found on the Gambling Commission's website here:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/research__consultations/research/bgps/bgps_2007/bgps_2007_related_research/bgps_social__internet.aspx
	The compound figure does not include spread betting.
	The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010 will be published by the Gambling Commission on 15 February 2011.

Museums and Galleries

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many visitors there were to each  (a) art gallery and  (b) museum funded by his Department in each of the last 20 years; and what assessment he has made of the effect on visitor numbers of the introduction of free admission to such venues.

Edward Vaizey: Since the introduction of free admission in 2001, visits to museums which previously charged have increased by 128%--rising from 7.2 million to 16.3 million in 2009-10.
	The number of visits to galleries and museums sponsored by the Department for the last 16 years are detailed in the following tables. Figures prior to 1990-91 are not available. Visit data from between 1990 and 1998 are drawn from the Department's annual reports. Data from 1998-99 onwards have been collected by the Department.
	
		
			  (a) Art galleries 
			   National Gallery  National Portrait Gallery  Tate Gallery 
			 1990-91 3,700,000 600,000 2,170,000 
			 1991-92 4,400,000 600,000 2,500,000 
			 1992-93 4,200,000 560,000 2,200,000 
			 1993-94 4,000,000 790,000 2,700,000 
			 1994-95 4,350,000 930,000 2,800,000 
			 1995-96 3,900,000 820,000 3,000,000 
			 1996-97 4,000,000 890,000 2,500,000 
			 1997-98 4,200,000 950,000 2,200,000 
			 1998-99 4,800,000 994,491 3,033,527 
			 1999-2000 5,000,000 996,712 2,482,522 
			 2000-01 4,780,000 1,219,167 6,733,691 
			 2001-02 4,859,000 1,479,179 5,528,219 
			 2002-03 4,100,000 1,319,527 6,332,787 
			 2003-04 4,648,000 1,425,655 6,214,869 
			 2004-05 4,909,000 1,468,875 6,293,000 
			 2005-06 3,953,000 1,528,628 6,412,000 
			 2006-07 4,734,000 1,664,894 7,708,000 
			 2007-08 3,912,000 1,645,680 7,711,283 
			 2008-09 4,438,900 1,833,684 7,475,000 
			 2009-10 4,695,900 1,984,500 7,125,000 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Museums 
			  Museums B-M:  British Museum  Geffrye Museum  Horniman Museum  Imperial War Museum  Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester 
			 1990-91 5,050,000 40,000 120,000 1,210,000 330,000 
			 1991-92 5,960,000 42,000 145,000 1,080,000 330,000 
			 1992-93 6,910,000 42,000 184,000 1,150,000 340,000 
			 1993-94 6,030,000 42,000 204,000 1,190,000 310,000 
			 1994-95 6,240,000 46,000 186,000 1,270,000 280,000 
			 1995-96 6,130,000 52,000 163,000 1,310,000 260,000 
			 1996-97 6,500,000 55,000 222,000 1,300,000 340,000 
			 1997-98 6,100,000 60,000 220,000 1,350,000 230,000 
			 1998-99 4,488,065 85,447 210,599 1,374,103 322,977 
			 1999-2000 4,368,430 104,049 186,377 1,372,000 301,245 
			 2000-01 4,589,000 85,676 116,286 1,609,000 287,814 
			 2001-02 4,813,119 82,639 130,581 1,607,929 389,582 
			 2002-03 4,623,500 81,194 250,387 1,980,000 434,055 
			 2003-04 4,622,169 86,529 272,220 1,966,000 381,932 
			 2004-05 4,778,200 79,959 303,428 2,056,446 481,039 
			 2005-06 4,485,482 79,408 282,856 1,906,510 411,547 
			 2006-07 4,902,259 76,907 429,866 1,956,069 408,469 
			 2007-08 6,049,000 80,352 477,894 1,999,331 819,104 
			 2008-09 5,472,056 86,499 483,113 2,006,765 745,188 
			 2009-10 5,650,388 93,365 621,301 2,079,264 568,993 
		
	
	
		
			  Museums N-R:  National Maritime Museum  National Museums Liverpool  National Museum of Science and Industry  Natural History Museum  Royal Armouries( 1) 
			 1990-91 550,000 1,290,000 2,440,000 1,600,000 n/a 
			 1991-92 600,000 1,200,000 2,610,000 1,480,000 n/a 
			 1992-93 540,000 1,190,000 2,580,000 1,730,000 n/a 
			 1993-94 530,000 1,360,000 2,670,000 1,740,000 n/a 
			 1994-95 620,000 1,360,000 2,510,000 1,640,000 n/a 
			 1995-96 580,000 1,230,000 2,700,000 1,460,000 n/a 
			 1996-97 400,000 790,000 2,540,000 1,800,000 394,000 
			 1997-98 470,000 630,000 2,400,000 1,820,000 349,000 
			 1998-99 482,038 700,000 2,158,462 1,794,870 335,000 
			 1999-2000 874,434 791,355 2,831,087 1,761,000 218,000 
			 2000-01 799,777 710,210 2,822,486 1,691,738 235,000 
			 2001-02 1,004,604 823,000 3,061,148 2,196,416 337,626 
			 2002-03 1,208,000 1,240,000 4,260,468 2,893,337 398,000 
			 2003-04 1,365,264 1,525,520 4,270,255 3,143,935 380,000 
			 2004-05 1,532,690 1,537,590 3,815,850 3,328,478 432,755 
			 2005-06 1,512,191 1,608,133 3,576,679 3,281,810 394,720 
			 2006-07 1,633,592 1,694,065 4,373,176 3,892,878 376,269 
			 2007-08 1,782,405 2,167,626 4,384,383 3,779,420 443,202 
			 2008-09 2,089,104 2,689,889 4,206,858 3,843,310 448,622 
			 2009-10 2,395,493 2,273,612 4,308,258 4,388,944 466,987 
		
	
	
		
			  Museums S-W:  Sir John Soane's Museum  Victoria and Albert Museum  Wallace Collection 
			 1990-91 60,000 1,270,000 130,000 
			 1991-92 53,000 1,400,000 170,000 
			 1992-93 50,000 1,450,000 200,000 
			 1993-94 52,000 1,580,000 150,000 
			 1994-95 58,000 1,600,000 150,000 
			 1995-96 76,000 1,530,000 160,000 
			 1996-97 84,000 1,590,000 180,000 
			 1997-98 92,000 1,450,000 180,000 
			 1998-99 84,998 1,438,200 189,499 
			 1999-2000 96,823 1,217,000 171,867 
			 2000-01 83,827 1,342,000 255,993 
			 2001-02 86,548 1,862,500 228,991 
			 2002-03 86,461 2,532,500 233,918 
			 2003-04 94,054 2,689,500 236,255 
			 2004-05 87,165 2,471,600 288,009 
			 2005-06 84,624 2,195,500 219,214 
			 2006-07 92,141 2,874,700 277,648 
			 2007-08 93,301 2,623,100 346,980 
			 2008-09 96,447 2,490,700 359,165 
			 2009-10 107,447 2,746,000 382,773 
			 (1) Royal Armouries in Leeds opened March 1996

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reasons he did not meet representatives of trade unions to discuss his plans for the abolition of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State has not received a request for a meeting with Prospect, the recognised Trade Union, to discuss the abolition of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). I have received one request for a meeting with Prospect.
	Since the decision to abolish the MLA was announced on 26 July 2010, the MLA has had ongoing meetings and regular dialogue with Prospect, and in addition kept staff up to date to the best of its knowledge on the Government's intentions for delivering MLA functions in the future. In addition, on 1 December 2010 MLA placed all its employees formally 'At Risk' of redundancy and started a four-month period of formal consultation with staff and trade unions to enable it to reach final decisions as to the future of its staff.

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he made of options other than abolition when considering the future of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Edward Vaizey: The role of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has been reviewed on a number of occasions in the past including the MLA Peer Review of 2004 and the Renaissance Review in 2009. The decision to abolish the MLA was made with reference to these previous reviews and within the context of the Government review of public bodies which aims to increase the accountability, transparency and value for money of public bodies.

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations he consulted prior to proposing abolition of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Edward Vaizey: No formal consultation took place prior to the decision to abolish of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). Ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly meet representatives from a wide range of cultural organisations and within the context of these meetings the role and structure of organisations in the cultural sector, including the MLA, has been discussed on a number of occasions.

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment of  (a) financial liabilities and  (b) potential cost savings he made before taking his decision to abolish the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Edward Vaizey: The decision to abolish the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council was taken as part of the Government's review of public bodies which aims to increase the accountability, transparency and value for money of public bodies. The decision was taken on the basis that the potential for cost savings outweighed the potential liabilities. Transferring museums and libraries functions to Arts Council England will ensure work is delivered in a more efficient way with a reduction in back office functions. It will also bring together three areas of cultural policy in a single organisation with a proven track record, giving the Arts Council greater influence in discussions about the power of culture, particularly at a local level.

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what equality impact assessment he undertook in advance of his decision to abolish the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Edward Vaizey: A formal Equality Impact Assessment was not developed prior to the decision to reform the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. However as the work to transfer MLA functions to Arts Council England progresses we are considering the potential impact on equality issues to ensure that there is no discrimination against any particular group.

National Lottery: Operating Costs

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of reducing his Department's funding for running costs of lottery funding distributors on  (a) the number of applications for lottery funding and  (b) the success of such applications.

John Penrose: None, because the administrative costs of distributing lottery funding are funded from the lottery, rather than from departmental expenditure. However, the relevant distributors were consulted both directly and through the Lottery Forum about our plans to reduce these costs. Reducing administrative costs should release more money for grants, and I am not expecting distributors to report any significant impact on applications.

Telecommunications: Visual Impairment

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has assessed the equivalence with telecommunications provision for hearing people of the provision of text relay services for deaf people.

Edward Vaizey: DCMS is in the process of implementing revisions to the electronic communication framework. These require member states to ensure that access to, and affordability of, electronic communications services for disabled end-users is equivalent to the level enjoyed by other end-users. Implementation of new article 23a in the USD will empower Ofcom to specify, where appropriate, requirements to ensure that disabled end-users:
	(a) have access to electronic communications services equivalent to that enjoyed by the majority of end-users; and
	(b) benefit from the choice of undertakings and services available to the majority of end-users.
	Equivalence is a broad concept and not tied to any particular service. However, Ofcom is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision for hearing-and speech-impaired users of electronic communications. A consultation document will be published in the spring and a research report which will help inform the review was published on 4 February and can be read at
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/telecoms-research/ofcom-relay-services/
	DCMS and Ofcom are also currently reviewing the responses received to the recent public consultation on proposals for implementing the revised framework.

Theatres: Repairs and Maintenance

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what central Government grants are available to owners of theatres for  (a) maintenance and  (b) other purposes.

Edward Vaizey: This Department does not directly award grants to theatres. Its arms length body Arts Council England provides funding to a number of theatre organisations, including capital grants which can be used for maintenance and other purposes.

Trade Unions

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what requests he has received from trade unions representing members in his Department's non-departmental public bodies for meetings to discuss the abolition of such bodies.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, has not received any requests for meetings from trade unions representing members of the Department's non-departmental public bodies to discuss their abolition.
	I have received one request for a meeting with Prospect, the recognised Trade Union, to discuss the abolition of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

JUSTICE

Courts: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2010,  Official Report, column 322W, on courts: Sunderland, what progress has been made on the proposed rebuilding of court premises in Sunderland; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: HMCS remains committed to the delivery of a new Justice Centre in Sunderland. It has acquired the Farringdon Row site from Sunderland City Council and completed the design to Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stage D.
	HMCS has a portfolio of major build projects, which are at various stages of their development. These are being assessed as part of Government investment and governance procedures and considered against the outcome of the recent spending review. We anticipate the project being able to be progressed towards the end of the spending review period and will include Sunderland in the bid to HM Treasury for the following spending review in order to complete the construction phase.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has for the future of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Jonathan Djanogly: The recent review of arm's length bodies determined that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority should be retained. The Secretary of State for Justice will continue to support the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in its valuable work in compensating the blameless victims of violent crime.

Departmental Information Officers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The figures are set out in the following table and represent communication posts as at 1 February 2011. Roles which encompass more than one communications discipline have been placed in the most suitable category. The Ministry of Justice Press Office also handles media relations for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
	The Ministry of Justice is one of the largest Departments in Government and its work touches everyone in the UK.
	Communications support access to essential public information about the services it provides. Communication also provides the relevant guidance and support so that citizens can use our services effectively. It is also right that the public, partners and providers know and understand the work of the MOJ and its agencies and have the opportunity to be consulted on any proposed changes. Communications in all its forms is an important element of this.
	Staffing levels reflect the size and complexity of the Department and its public bodies and the need to communicate effectively on a wide range of issues and services. The MOJ Press Office, which plays an important role in making sure media outlets have factually correct information, needs to meet the demands of a 24/7 media.
	
		
			   Press officers  Internal Communications officers  External Communications officers  Communications strategy officers  Other positions with a communications remit 
			  Department and its agencies  
			 Ministry of Justice 34 11 4 5 30 
			 National Offender Management Service 0 19 0 2 0 
			 Her Majesty's Courts Service 2 5 2 0 0 
			 Tribunals Service 0 3 0 0 7 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 0 2 0 1.5 1.5 
			   
			  Non-departmental public bodies  
			 Legal Services Commission 3 3 6 0 5 
			 Victims' Commissioner 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Court Funds Office 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Legal Services Board 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Information Commissioner 2 0.6 7.2 0.5 0 
			 Office for Legal Complaints 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Judicial Communications Office 3 5 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission 0 0.5 0.5 0 3 
			 Youth Justice Board 3.8 - - - 7 
			 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Prisons and Probation Ombudsman 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Independent Monitoring Boards Secretariat 0 0 0 0 2 
			   
			 Totals 48.8 50.1 20.7 11 62.5

Legal Aid: Immigration and Asylum

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much money from the public purse has been provided  (a) directly and  (b) indirectly through third parties to support legal cases related to (i) immigration and (ii) asylum issues in each of the last five years; and how much has been given to each third party in each such year.

Jonathan Djanogly: Legal aid expenditure in immigration and asylum is shown in the table. It is not possible to disaggregate asylum spending from immigration for licensed work in cases funded under a legal aid certificate.
	These figures include disbursements from which providers can pay third parties such as interpreters and medical experts. However, expenditure on disbursements is not centrally recorded in such a way as to enable the amounts spent on third party services to be identified from other costs such as travel costs.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Controlled work
			 Asylum 176 140 76 51 49 52 56 
			 Immigration (nationality) 13 22 19 25 28 28 26 
			 Indeterminate 5 10 3 3 4 3 2 
			 Controlled work total 194 172 98 73 80 82 83 
			 
			 Licensed work 6 5 5 7 6 6 7 
			 
			 Total 200 177 103 80 86 88 90

Legal Aid: Immigration and Asylum

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal practitioners and other representatives of  (a) immigrants and  (b) asylum seekers received legal aid and other monies from the public purse for the purpose of representing their clients there were in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: Legal aid funding in civil cases in England and Wales is a matter for the Legal Services Commission (LSC), which is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme.
	The following table details the number of legal aid providers (by office) paid for Civil Representation and Legal Help work for immigration and asylum cases in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   2006-07  2006-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Immigration Asylum-Legal Help 321 271 263 245 234 
			 Immigration Other-Legal Help 313 275 279 255 242 
			 Immigration and Asylum-Civil Representation 366 294 260 285 237

Legal Aid: Immigration and Asylum

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which 20 organisations or persons have received the largest sums of money from the public purse for the provision of legal services in respect of  (a) immigration and  (b) asylum cases in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: It is not possible to provide the information in the time available. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the House of Commons Library.

Legal Aid: Immigration and Asylum

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations his Department has received on the withdrawal of legal aid in relation to immigration matters for stateless people.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government are currently consulting on all its legal aid proposals, including the removal of non-detention immigration cases from the scope of legal aid. We have received responses from immigration and asylum representative bodies and members of the public on the immigration proposals, but none of those received as of 4 February have raised the specific issue of stateless people. The consultation will close on 14 February.

Legal Aid: Immigration and Asylum

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the availability of legal aid to applicants for asylum.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government are currently consulting on proposals to reform legal aid. We propose to continue to provide publicly funded legal assistance in asylum cases (except asylum support cases). The consultation will close on 14 February.

Magna Carta: Anniversaries

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta in 2015.

Jonathan Djanogly: My noble friend Lord McNally has ministerial responsibility for the Government's participation in the five-year programme of celebrations for the 800th anniversary, launched at an internationally televised event at Runnymede on 12 November 2010.
	He is working closely with the Magna Carta Trust to increase awareness of the anniversary both in the UK and overseas in a series of high profile public and media events which will include celebrations in the five Charter Towns-Canterbury, Runnymede, London, St Albans, and Bury St Edmunds-and at other historic venues throughout the UK in the lead up to the anniversary in June 2015.
	I understand that a major exhibition is planned for the British Library and, abroad, others are planned at the National Archive in Washington, D.C., and in Canberra, Australia.

Pleural Plaques: Compensation

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2011,  Official Report, column 811W, on pleural plaques: compensation, how many of the 6,119 applications are from individuals living in Sunderland.

Jonathan Djanogly: As of 4 February a total of 6,543 applications have been received. Of these, 150 are from individuals applying with a Sunderland postcode.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission: Publications

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the Audit Commission's visual identity guidelines produced with the assistance of HSAG Design.

Bob Neill: A copy of the Audit Commission's visual identity guidelines, produced with the assistance of HSAG Design, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Council Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Homes and Communities Agency on the incorporation of quality standards in decisions relating to the funding and development of  (a) social rented and  (b) other affordable housing developments funded by the agency; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Homes and Communities Agency inherited from its predecessor bodies a variety of quality and design standards required when supporting developments of social and affordable housing. The Agency consulted on proposals for a single new set of standards last year, which would have increased some requirements.
	We are committed to reducing the burden of regulation on builders and developers, and have also called on the industry to work with Government on developing new proposals for a simplified system, through a local standards framework. As part of this exercise we have decided that the Homes and Community Agency should not proceed with new enhanced standards, instead retaining their existing ones. As a general guide, this has been estimated to save on average some £8,000 per unit.

Departmental Information Officers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: All departmental staff employed in communications roles are members of the Department's Communication Directorate, which is comprised of External Communications Division and Corporate Communications Division, managed by the Director of Communication.
	External Communications currently employs 41 communications officers working on a combination of press, marketing, strategic planning and digital/social media. This equates to 39.5 full-time equivalent posts, as some members of staff are employed part-time.
	Corporate Communications currently employs 25 communications officers working on internal communication, web management, print/publishing and Info4Local. This equates to 23.6 full-time equivalent posts.
	A further four communications officers within Communication Directorate work directly with policy directorates.
	No new members of staff have joined the Communication Directorate since March 2010 and a recruitment freeze remains in force. The Communication Directorate expects to reduce the staff headcount by approximately 30% through the Department's restructuring exercise by April 2012.
	The Department does not maintain a central record of communications posts at its agencies or non-departmental public bodies.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department and its predecessors have employed in each year since 2000.

Bob Neill: The numbers of certified librarians (those holding the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) para-professional award), and chartered librarians (those holding CILIP's professional qualification) employed by the Department since 2000 are as follows:
	
		
			   Certified librarians  Chartered librarians 
			 2000-01 0 9 
			 2001-02 0 10 
			 2002-03 0 9 
			 2003-04 0 10 
			 2004-05 0 11 
			 2005-06 0 9 
			 2006-07 0 9 
			 2007-08 0 8 
			 2008-09 0 7 
			 2009-10 0 5 
			 2010-11 0 5

Fire Commissioners

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to introduce directly-elected fire commissioners; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Ministers have not considered introducing directly-elected fire commissioners and currently there are no plans to do so.

Housing: Construction

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanism he has put in place to ensure that the New Homes Bonus reflects the strategic priority in Planning Policy Statement 3, Housing, for brownfield development before greenfield.

Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus is a powerful, simple, transparent and permanent incentive for local authorities and communities to increase their aspirations for housing growth. The final scheme design of the New Homes Bonus will be published shortly.
	The New Homes Bonus will sit alongside the Government's current national planning for housing policies as set out in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3). PPS3 focuses on developing brownfield land for housing as a priority, particularly vacant and derelict sites and buildings, as well as surplus public sector land where possible.
	We announced in December the start of work to create a simple and consolidated national planning policy framework covering all forms of development, as promised in the coalition agreement. This will include planning for housing policy.
	The New Homes Bonus does not change planning policy. However, we do believe it will promote more sustainable, locally-led development than the failed and unpopular regime of regional strategies.
	The consultation also proposes that the bonus rewards getting long-term empty homes back into productive use.

Local Government

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what statutory duties are required of local authorities.

Greg Clark: Historically central Government have been prescriptive about how councils should serve their communities and virtually every function councils undertake has a legal duty attached to it, set out in numerous Acts of Parliament. The Government are committed to reducing centrally imposed barriers and burdens on local authorities such as legislation, guidance and other forms of prescription.

Local Government : Manpower

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were employed by local government in the first quarter of  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department does not hold records of the number of people employed by local authorities.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes local government employment statistics for the United Kingdom for the second quarter of each year between 1991 and 1999 and quarterly thereafter. The number of people employed by local government in the second quarter of 1997 was 2,728,000, and the number employed in the second quarter of 2010 was 2,907,000. It should be noted that these figures include local authorities under the devolved Administrations.

Park Homes: Ownership

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what proposals he has received in respect of the introduction of a fit and proper person test for owners of park home units;
	(2)  what recent representation he has received on the introduction of a fit and proper person test for owners of park home units.

Grant Shapps: I have received a number of letters from park home residents, some through their Members of Parliament, making representations and proposals for the introduction of a fit and proper test for owners of park home sites.

Planning Inspectorate

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to streamline the working of the Planning Inspectorate.

Bob Neill: The Planning Inspectorate is currently reviewing its systems and staffing levels in response to the spending review, to draw out efficiencies from the proposed abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and integration of major infrastructure casework and to provide business-as-usual efficiency savings. Enhanced working practices are at the forefront of this change, to provide value for money services while retaining high levels of customer satisfaction and service. Similarly the way in which the Planning Inspectorate delivers its services is evolving and responding to the need to meet the Government's localism agenda.

Quarrying: Stoke on Trent

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will direct Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority to enforce the ruling by the then Secretary of State for the Environment on 27 October 1993 (ref APP/C/91/N3400/612522 M23/1/04) that land at Copshurst Quarry, Lightwood, Stoke-on-Trent should not be worked for marl extraction from that date or any future date.

Bob Neill: holding answer 7 February 2011
	Parliament has given local planning authorities the primary responsibility for taking whatever enforcement action may be necessary, in the public interest, in their administrative area. We consider that this should remain so.
	The Government take breaches of planning control very seriously, and the Localism Bill includes a number of measures aimed at strengthening local planning authorities' powers to take enforcement action.

Regional Planning and Development

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to provide powers for local authorities to ensure that housing development and related infrastructure development proceed together.

Bob Neill: Local planning authorities already have a range of tools available to them to ensure that the infrastructure needed to support development is properly planned for and provided. These will be strengthened by the new Duty to Cooperate in the Localism Bill.
	 Duty to Cooperate
	The Duty to Cooperate requires local planning authorities and public bodies to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis in the planning process.
	The duty will apply to the preparation of local plans and other activities that support development planning. This might include joint policies and strategies on strategic infrastructure to support economic growth and new housing.
	 Development Plans
	National planning policy expects development plans prepared by local authorities to be supported by evidence of what physical, social and green infrastructure is needed to support the amount of development proposed for the area, taking account of its type and distribution.
	 Planning Conditions and Section 106 Agreements
	In granting planning permission for any new development, local authorities can impose planning conditions and/or use Section 106 Agreements to ensure that new or improved infrastructure of the right standard is provided at the right time.
	Planning authorities can use conditions which prohibit the commencement or occupation of development until certain specified actions have been completed, for example provision of infrastructure such as a new bus stop or school.
	 Community Infrastructure Levy
	Community Infrastructure Levy also enables local planning authorities to seek developer contributions. Unlike planning conditions and Section 106 agreements, it can be used to fund infrastructure needs of the wider area, beyond the development site itself. The levy provides a predictable income that offers the certainty local authorities need to plan ahead to ensure infrastructure can be delivered at the right time, for example, by forward funding a necessary project.
	The Government are reforming the Community Infrastructure Levy to ensure it is also a flexible system which allows authorities to accept payment in the form of land whenever it is required, for example, to ensure that land for infrastructure can be secured at the right time.

Sheltered Housing

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the inclusion in local plans of the need for specialist housing for older people;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on the promotion of private sector provision of specialist housing for older people; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: National Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing states that Local Planning Authorities should, based upon findings of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and other local evidence, set out in their local development documents the likely profile of household types requiring market housing. The housing requirements of older people can be included in these assessments.
	Based on the housing requirements identified, Local Planning Authorities should develop policies and implementation strategies to ensure that sufficient, suitable land is available to achieve their housing objectives.
	Subsequently, developers should bring forward proposals for market housing which reflect demand and the profile of households requiring market housing in order to sustain mixed communities.
	We announced in December the start of work to create a simple and consolidated National Planning Policy Framework covering all forms of development, as promised in the coalition agreement. This will include policy on planning for housing.

Sheltered Housing: Private Sector

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the promotion of private sector provision of specialist housing for older people is part of the Government's housing strategy.

Andrew Stunell: We are putting in place a framework that will promote greater investment in housing, including both general needs housing and specialised provision, such as housing for older people. This will rebalance power from central Government to local authorities and local people so that they can shape development in their areas. It will replace top down targets with fiscal incentives for local authorities to promote development, and it will support private sector growth by reducing regulation on house-builders.

Supported Housing: Older People

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department is undertaking into the housing needs of elderly people in need of specialist housing.

Andrew Stunell: My Department is not currently undertaking any research into the needs of elderly people in need of specialist housing.

DEFENCE

Chinook Helicopters

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Boeing full hazard analysis of the flying controls and associated systems that was carried out with reference to paragraph 9 of the Ministry of Defence Military Aircraft Accident Summary 2/89-Aircraft Accident to Royal Air Force Chinook HC1 ZA721.

Nick Harvey: I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Time is required to retrieve information on the 1987 accident from archive.

European Defence Agency

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on which occasions his Department has used the services of the European Defence Agency for procurement purposes for each  (a) year and  (b) type of equipment procured since the establishment of the Agency; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which accrued to its budget through using the services of the European Defence Agency for procurement purposes in each year since that Agency became operational; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what plans his Department has to use the services of the European Defence Agency for procurement purposes to December 2011; what level of savings he expects to accrue to his Department in respect of each equipment type as a result; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The mission of the European Defence Agency (EDA) is to support the European Council and the member states in their effort to improve the EU's defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
	As the EDA is not a procurement agency, it does not undertake a procurement function on behalf of its participating member states. Therefore, we have not used and have no plans to use it for procurement purposes, nor have we estimated savings accrued to the Ministry of Defence's budget.

Nuclear Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the 2008 and 2009 Assurance Reports from the Defence Nuclear Environment and Safety Board on safety in the defence and nuclear programmes; and whether he plans to publish the 2010 report of the Board;
	(2)  whether hon. Members will be given access to the Defence Nuclear Environment and Safety Board's 2010 Assurance Report.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) principal safety body, the Defence Environmental and Safety Board, has assessed both the 2008 and 2009 reports. It concluded that the Defence nuclear programmes are being conducted safely and an appropriate programme of work is in hand to deliver continuous safety improvement against the issues raised.
	The 2010 report is currently being reviewed to identify whether any information needs to be withheld. It will then be published on the MOD website at the following address:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/MicroSite/DES/OurPublications/HealthandSafety/DefenceNuclearEnvironmentAndSafetyBoardAssuranceReports.htm

O'Brien and Associates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister approved his Department's contract with O'Brien and Associates of Washington.

Nick Harvey: There was no requirement for Ministers to approve the Ministry of Defence's contract with O'Brien and Associates, which fell within the approval authority of the British Defence staff in Washington. The contract expired in December 2010.

Russia: Submarines

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent reports he has received of Russian submarines operating in the North Atlantic; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: holding answer 3 February 2011
	Britain's sea approaches are continuously monitored for any threat to our national security and interests. I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) aircraft and  (b) naval vessels will be retired as a result of decisions taken in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Nick Harvey: As a result of decisions announced when the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) was published and since, the following aircraft and naval vessels will be withdrawn from service:
	
		
			  Asset  Anticipated date of withdrawal  Number being withdrawn 
			 Harrier Withdrawn December 2010 62 
			 Tornado GR4 By 2021 137 
			 TriStar By 2013 9 
			 VC-10 By 2013 13 
			 C-130J Hercules By 2022 24 
			 Sentinel R1 To be confirmed 5 
			 HMS Ark Royal Withdrawn December 2010 1 
			 HMS Illustrious 2014 1 
			 Type 22 Frigates 2011 4 
			 RFA Largs Bay 2011 1 
			 RFA Bayleaf 2011 1 
			 RFA Fort George 2011 1 
		
	
	The SDSR also announced that we would not be bringing nine Nimrod MRA4s into service.
	The final number of military assets affected by the SDSR remains subject to the completion of more detailed work during the Ministry of Defence's annual planning round. This will include, for example, the number of helicopters, training aircraft, and minor and auxiliary vessels required to support the new force structure.

War Crimes: Organs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has offered assistance to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo on issues relating to  (a) war crimes and  (b) organ trafficking in the last five years.

Nick Harvey: The UK supports the investigations into war crimes and organ trafficking by the EU Rule of Law Mission as part of its wider mandate. Our active support includes a contribution to EU funding of the mission and the provision of a number of secondees, including the Deputy Head of Mission.

Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) weapons and  (b) rounds of ammunition for which (i) his Department has and (ii) the armed forces have responsibility have gone missing since June 2009.

Nick Harvey: The following table provides details of the number of Ministry of Defence owned weapons reported as lost/stolen from June 2009 to date, showing, as appropriate, where recovery has been effected. These figures include reported losses in-theatre.
	No comprehensive figures are available in respect of ammunition losses.
	
		
			   2009( 1)  2010  2011( 2) 
			   Lost/Stolen  Recovered  Lost/Stolen  Recovered  Lost/Stolen  Recovered 
			 Pistol 14 12 9 .0 0 0 
			 Rifle 3 2 4 0 0 0 
			 Machine Gun 0 0 (3)61 5 0 0 
			 Shotgun 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 (1) June to December. (2) To date. (3) This figure includes 59 Minimi machine guns, the loss of which is the subject of a Royal Military Police investigation.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Nationals Abroad: Homicide

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish the protocol developed by his Department and the Victim Support National Homicide Service.

Jeremy Browne: We have no current plans to publish the agreement between Victim Support National Homicide Service and our Consular Directorate. However, I have passed a copy to the non-governmental organisation 'Support After Murder and Manslaughter' (SAMM) Abroad, and am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
	This agreement ensures that consular staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office notify Victim Support National Homicide Service of the murder of a British national abroad if the bereaved family are resident in England or Wales. Consular staff will then advise the family of the service provided by Victim Support and, with the family's consent, a Victim Support caseworker will contact them to arrange a meeting.

Commonwealth: Sexuality

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his Commonwealth counterparts on discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The UK opposes discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. We believe that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Government Ministers and officials raise the rights of LGBT people during meetings with Commonwealth counterparts. As previously mentioned in my response to my hon. Friend on 1 February 2011,  Official Report, column 708W, I recently visited Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, and raised LGBT equality during discussions with government officials and non-government organisations.
	In July 2010, the Prime Minister launched a programme of work which will ensure the UK continues to push towards LGBT equality both at home and abroad. This includes a commitment to proactively question those Commonwealth countries which retain homophobic legislation and to push for unequivocal support for LGBT rights internationally.

Departmental Information Officers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's communications directorate was staffed as follows during 2009-10. Headcount has reduced by about 18% since the beginning of this financial year and communications is under review. There are also embedded communications staff within Directorates and staff overseas with a communications remit, but details of these are not available except at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   2009-10 
			 Internal communications 8 
			 Digital/social media 21 
			 Strategic communications 31 
			 Corporate communications 18 
			 Marketing 0 
			 Media/press 30 
			 Senior management 1 
			 Support staff 7 
		
	
	The British Council's centralised communications function was staffed as follows in 2009-10. There are also staff overseas with a communications remit, but details of these are not available except at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Discipline  Total 
			 Internal communications 5 
			 Digital/social media 3 
			 Strategic communications 0 
			 Corporate communications 2 
			 Marketing 4 
			 Media/press 6 
			 Senior management 1 
			 Support staff 0

Egypt: Museums and Galleries

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the looting of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo on 28 January 2011; what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Egypt about protecting the contents of the Egyptian Museum; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I was troubled by these reports. Egypt has a unique history and the National Museum is a repository of priceless and irreplaceable antiquities.
	We have not raised the protection of the contents of the Egyptian Museum with the Egyptian Government, but understand that the army was asked to take responsibility for the protection of public properties, including museums, on 28 January 2011.
	We are gravely concerned by the ongoing political unrest in Egypt and utterly condemn the violence that is taking place in Cairo.

Embassies: London Congestion Charge

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from Transport for London on progress towards recovering outstanding London congestion charge payments from diplomatic missions.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) receives some information from Transport for London (TfL) about the Congestion Charge and diplomatic missions. Acting on statistics provided by TfL, in March 2010 the FCO wrote individually to those diplomatic missions and international organisations which do not pay the Congestion Charge advising them to pay. The FCO has now received updated statistics from TfL and will shortly be writing to those missions which still have outstanding Congestion Charge debts.
	Every June, the FCO publishes a written ministerial statement listing all diplomatic missions in the UK which have outstanding Congestion Charge debts of £100,000 or more. This list is published on behalf of TfL.
	We remain in contact with TfL on the question of payment of the Congestion Charge by diplomatic missions.

Gilad Shalit

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress he has made in efforts to  (a) encourage the release of and  (b) allow Red Cross access to Corporal Gilad Shalit.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend Lord Howell of Guildford's response of 25 January 2011,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA139.

Hong Kong: Passports

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many passport applications have been received by the regional passport processing centre in Hong Kong in the last six months; and what the average time between application and issue was.

Jeremy Browne: The regional passport processing centre in Hong Kong received 13,058 applications between 1 August 2010 and 31 January 2011. We do not record the average time between application and issue. However, 95% of these applications were processed and dispatched back to the customer within 10 working days of the application's arrival at the passport centre. Our advertised time from receipt of applications to delivery to the customer is four weeks for renewals and six weeks for first time applications.

Iran: Guided Weapons

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the report of the UN Panel of Experts to the 1718 Sanctions Committee on co-operation between Iran and North Korea in the development of ballistic missiles.

Alistair Burt: We share the assessment of the UN Panel of Experts to the 1718 Sanctions Committee who published a report in November 2010 indicating that Iran and the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK) were co-operating in the development of ballistic missiles. The DPRK's network of proliferation activities, including to countries such as Iran, is a threat to regional and international security.
	We strongly support the tough sanctions imposed by UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, which are designed to curb the range of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and conventional arms related proliferation activities undertaken by the DPRK. UN Security Council Resolution 1929 also requires countries to take steps to ensure that shipments of weapons and proliferation sensitive goods on route to Iran are stopped. We continue to work closely with international partners to ensure that these measures are robustly implemented.

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of EU sanctions on Iran since December 2010; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Simon Kirby) on 31 January 2011,  Official Report, column 498W.

Iran: Sexuality

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department has made any recent representations to the Iranian government on its approach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK opposes all discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all circumstances. We believe human rights are universal and apply equally to all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We are concerned by the harsh punishments for homosexual activity in Iran. My officials expressed concerns about this issue and about the specific cases of two individuals, alleged to have been sentenced to death for homosexual activity, to the Iranian embassy in London on 19 January 2011, after we received reports of the cases.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of steps taken by  (a) Algeria,  (b) Morocco,  (c) Tunisia and  (d) Lebanon in implementing the requirements to promote trade and co-operation with other countries in the region, including Israel, in their association agreements with the EU.

Alistair Burt: While we have not held discussions with EU counterparts specifically on using the Association Agreement to encourage these countries to recognise Israel, regional integration and co-operation are important parts of European Union Association Agreements and the wider Neighbourhood policy. The External Action Service and European Commission undertake assessments of progress against association agreements. This includes information on regional co-operation.
	The latest assessments by country are at:
	http://eeas.europa.eu/countries/index_en.htm
	The EU-Lebanon Action Plan, which implements the Association Agreement, includes an objective that furthers development of co-operation between the EU and Lebanon in the context of the Middle East Peace Process, which is pursued on the ground and in Brussels.
	Regarding Israel specifically, our position is set out in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of December 2010, which noted:
	"The EU recalls that peace in the Middle East should be comprehensive and reiterates the importance of negotiations on the Israel-Syria and Israel-Lebanon tracks. Peace should lead to the full integration of Israel in its regional environment, along the lines set out in the Arab Peace Initiative".

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department plans to provide to the government of Pakistan in order to strengthen institutions to  (a) reduce levels of corruption and  (b) uphold human rights.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works closely with partners across Government to support the Government of Pakistan in strengthening democratic institutions and promoting good governance. The Department for International Development has a £665 million four-year development assistance programme, which includes support for economic growth and governance. Funding streams from the interdepartmental Conflict Pool (£901,000 for Pakistan internal projects) and the Bilateral Programme Fund (£100,000) are also used to focus on projects designed to provide assistance to the Government of Pakistan in addressing corruption and upholding human rights. The FCO engages with the Government of Pakistan on the issues of corruption and human rights both bilaterally and with our partners in the European Union.

Recruitment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on recruitment to ambassadorial posts through open competition.

Alistair Burt: Ambassadorial posts in senior management grades are appointed through competition open to all Government Departments. Posts in other grades are open to members of the Diplomatic Service. Recruitment through external competition may be considered in exceptional cases where external candidates can offer essential skills not available within the civil service.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the treatment of alleged ex-combatants in Sri Lanka by the police and the military.

Alistair Burt: The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister informed our Acting High Commissioner on 1 February 2011 that 4,666 of the original 11,696 former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters remained in detention. He stated that the rest have been released and re-integrated into their communities and all former child fighters have been released. We continue to seek regular updates on the treatment of former fighters from the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation.
	We regularly raise our concerns about the lack of humanitarian access and the continued lack of clarity over their legal status with the Sri Lankan Government.
	We hope that the interim recommendations of the Sri Lankan Government's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, seeking a speedy resolution of cases relating to detainees and information on their whereabouts, can be acted on promptly.

Sudan: Referendums

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Sudanese counterpart on the implementation of the result on the referendum on Southern Sudan.

Henry Bellingham: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Sudanese Vice President Taha on 13 January 2011. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary welcomed the constructive statements made by the National Congress Party regarding the likely outcome of the referendum. We continue to urge both parties to resolve the remaining Comprehensive Peace Agreement issues including citizenship rights, borders and Abyei.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department has contributed to the Turks and Caicos Special Investigation and Prosecution Team since its creation.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) covered the initial costs of the Turks and Caicos Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT). These were approximately £660,000 in the financial year ending March 2010.
	Since then, the FCO has continued to pay the accommodation costs for the SIPT office in London. From April 2010 to end of January 2011, the cost was approximately £104,000.
	We are considering whether we can provide further support.

United Nations: Finance

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms are in place to maintain oversight of UK financial contributions to the UN for the purposes of ensuring good governance.

Henry Bellingham: The Government closely scrutinise UN activity and expenditure and requests for funding. This is done in a number of ways, including through active participation by the UK in the Fifth Committee (Budget/Administration) of the UN General Assembly.
	Budget issues are also examined by the UN Advisory Committee for Administrative and Budgetary Questions. This is made up of independent experts, currently including one expert from the UK. Other bodies play a vital oversight role, particularly the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and the UN Board of Auditors, on which the UK National Audit Office currently sits.

United Nations: Recruitment

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms are in place to maintain oversight of recruitment of international staff to UN posts for the purposes of ensuring fair and transparent process.

Henry Bellingham: The UK is committed to ensuring recruitment to UN posts is based on the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, as set out in the Charter of the UN, and reiterated by the General Assembly, most recently in December 2010 in Resolution A/RES/65/247. The UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services investigates and reports regularly on compliance with resolutions, regulations, rules and policies, including on recruitment issues.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress on political reform in Zimbabwe.

Henry Bellingham: There has been considerable economic progress in Zimbabwe since the formation of the Inclusive Government in 2008. But there has not yet been political reform on anything like the same scale. It is clear that there is still a long way to go before the country can be considered stable and democratic. The constitutional reform process, which has itself been marred by some apparent intimidation, and the setting up of Media, Electoral and Human Rights commissions are encouraging signs. But a number of key provisions of the Global Political Agreement remain unimplemented. The general conditions necessary for free and fair elections have yet to be established. Moreover, President Mugabe continues to make unilateral appointments to important offices.
	There has been a considerable reduction in the severity and frequency of human rights abuses since the formation of the Inclusive Government. However the recent constitutional reform process has shown that State actors still have a capacity for violence and intimidation and we remain concerned about ongoing abuses, particularly recent examples of politically-motivated violence apparently tied to potential elections. We call on the Zimbabwean authorities to resume the downward trend in human rights abuses.
	In the absence of a roadmap to credible and properly monitored elections, the Inclusive Government continues to offer the only credible means of transforming Zimbabwe and of delivering basic services to its people. But to succeed, it needs a clear commitment from all parties to work together to implement the reforms set out in the Global Political Agreement.
	We will continue to engage with our international partners, including South Africa and the Southern African Development Community, in considering how best to work with reformers in Zimbabwe and the region, to improve prospects of reform and to prepare for credible and properly monitored elections.

HEALTH

Departmental Information Officers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The data we hold on the type of role performed by communications staff does not correspond exactly with the descriptions the hon. Member requested. However, information on the disciplines of all of the communications staff in the Department is contained in the following tables. Table one provides figures for staff working in the Communications Directorate, table two provides figures for staff working elsewhere in the Department.
	The source of the data in table 1 and 2 is the Cabinet Office commission 2009-10 to meet the needs of the Treasury's Operational Efficiency programme (OEP) Corporate Functions Benchmarking programme, for 2009-10.
	These figures were supplied in April 2010. Figures for the Communications Directorate have been updated as these were readily available and are in table one. Figures in table 2 are as of April 2010.
	Table 3-the Department has nine executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) and one executive agency. We have included data only for the NDPBs and Executive Agency that currently exist.
	The Department also grants funds to a wide range of voluntary and charitable organisations to provide services relating to health and healthy living. It is not possible to provide this data without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Table 1: Central communications staff, accounts for all staff working in the Communications Directorate. Data from February 2011 
			  Discipline  Total 
			  1. Internal communications including; 6.0 
			 (a) Change management - 
			 (b) Internal channel management - 
			 (c) Employee engagement - 
			   
			  2. Digital/social media 7.0 
			   
			  3. Strategic communications including; 26.0 
			 (a) Stakeholder engagement - 
			 (b) Strategic communication advisors - 
			 (c) Customer insight - 
			   
			  4. Corporate communications including; 5.0 
			 (a) Brand management - 
			 (b) Reputation management - 
			 (c) Corporate publications - 
			   
			  5. Marketing including; 30.0 
			 (a) Campaign management - 
			 (b) Sponsorship and partnership marketing - 
			 (c) Customer insight - 
			 (d) Research and evaluation - 
			 (e) Publications, including: - 
			 I. print procurement - 
			 II. design services - 
			 III. editorial and copywriting - 
			   
			  6. Media/press including; 47.0 
			 (a) Media handling - 
			 (b) Media-focused ministerial events/visits - 
			 (c) Media planning - 
			 (d) Speechwriting - 
			 (e) Public relations - 
			 (f) Public affairs (arms-length bodies) - 
			   
			  7. Senior management 2.0 
			   
			  8. Support staff 13.0 
			   
			 Total central communication function staff 136.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Embedded communications in the Department. Accounts for all staff working in the Department in policy teams. Data from April 2010 
			  Discipline  Total 
			  1. Internal communications including; 3.0 
			 (a) Employee engagement - 
			 (b) Change management - 
			 (c) Internal channel management - 
			   
			  2. Digital/social media ; 6.0 
			   
			  3. Strategic communications including; 33.0 
			 (a) Stakeholder engagement - 
			 (b) Strategic communication advisors - 
			 (c) Customer insight - 
			   
			  4. Corporate communications including; 0.0 
			 (a) Brand management - 
			 (b) Reputation management - 
			 (c) Corporate publications - 
			   
			  5. Marketing including; 1.0 
			 (a) Campaign management - 
			 (b) Sponsorship and partnership marketing - 
			 (c) Customer insight - 
			 (d) Research and evaluation - 
			 (e) Publications, including: - 
			 IV. print procurement - 
			 V. design services - 
			 VI. editorial and copywriting - 
			   
			  6. Media/press including; 0.0 
			 (a) Media handling - 
			 (b) Media-focused ministerial events/visits - 
			 (c) Media planning - 
			 (d) Speechwriting - 
			 (e) Public relations - 
			 (f) Public affairs (arms-length bodies) - 
			   
			  7. Senior management 1.0 
			   
			  8. Support staff 2.0 
			   
			 Total embedded communication function staff 46.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 
			  Communications  Figures (WTE) as at:  (a) Press officers  (b) Internal Comms officers  (c) External Comms officers  (d) Comms strategy officers 
			 Alcohol Education and Research Council 1 February 2011 - - - - 
			 Appointments Commission 3 February 2011 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Care Quality Commission 1 February 2011 4 4 16 - 
			 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence 7 February 2011 (2)- (2)- (2)- (2)- 
			 General Social Care Council 4 February 2011 1 - 2 3 
			 Health Protection Agency December 2010 (3)- (3)- (3)- (3)- 
			 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 31 January 2011 1 - 3 1 
			 Human Tissue Authority 7 February 2011 1 1 1 1 
			 Monitor 7 February 2011 2 1.5 2.5 1 
			 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency(4) 1 February 2011 3 1 0 1 
			 (1) Appointments Commission has one post holder who undertakes all Communications activity and it is not possible to determine the split between the roles (a)-(d). (2) Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence has one post holder who undertakes all Communications activity and it is not possible to determine the split between the roles (a)-(d). (3) Health Protection Agency has a total of 30 staff who work across all these disciplines. It is not possible to isolate staff into individual categories as they cross all of them. (4) Executive Agency

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which persons not employed by Government Departments or agencies hold passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises.

Simon Burns: Passes may be issued to those who are required to make frequent visits to specific Government sites, subject to the usual security checks. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to provide details of individuals who hold such passes.

Doctors: Foreign Workers

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors in the NHS are employed on tier 1 work permits for highly skilled migrants.

Simon Burns: This information is not available. Unlike those who come into the United Kingdom under Tier 2 of the points based system, Tier 1 migrants do not need a job offer before they arrive in the UK.
	The Home Office records the number of entry clearance visas issued out of country. In the first three quarters of the financial year 2010-11, 12,470 visas were issued under Tier 1 of the highly skilled migrant category of the point based system.

Doctors: Working Hours

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of hospital rotas for doctors identified staffing gaps in the last month for which figures are available;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that hospital rotas for doctors are appropriately staffed.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. It is for individual national health service trusts to identify gaps and ensure their service rotas are designed and staffed appropriately.

Doctors: Working Hours

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects on staffing gaps in hospital rotas of the extension of the European Working Time Directive to junior doctors;
	(2)  whether he has made an assessment of the accuracy of information collected to assess compliance with the European Working Time Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect data of the potential effects on staffing gaps in junior doctors' rotas. It is a requirement that local organisations collect and assess whether their data are accurate in measuring compliance with the working time directive.

General Practitioners

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the responses to his Department's proposals for GP consortia in the Health White Paper.

Simon Burns: The Government's response to the consultation 'Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps' summarises the responses received to the consultation on the White Paper 'Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS', and associated consultations, including 'Commissioning for Patients'. A list of organisations which responded to the consultation is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_123342.pdf

Health Services

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has assessed the risk that patients may be refused care that they were previously entitled to following the implementation of the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill.

Simon Burns: The requirement to promote a comprehensive health service free at the point of use, first set out in the NHS Act 1946, is unchanged by the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill.

Hospitals: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will have discussions with the chief executive of university hospital Coventry on its contract with ISS Facility Services; what the date was on which renegotiation of the contract started; what the name was of the person who took the decision to renegotiate the contract; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will assess the effects of the renegotiation of the contract between university hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and ISS Facility Services on  (a) car park charges,  (b) catering and  (c) cleaning; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what information NHS hospitals are obliged to place in the public domain in respect of renegotiation of contracts with  (a) NHS and  (b) non-NHS partners; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) does not have a contract directly with ISS. This is held between Coventry and Rugby Hospital Company (CRHC) and ISS. CRHC is the private company that is contractually required to market test 'soft' FM services (catering, cleaning, car parking etc) at regular intervals on behalf of the trust under the private finance initiative (PFI) contract, and to manage the tendering process.
	During the initial stage of this process in the first half of 2010, CRHC, on behalf of their sub-contractor (ISS), was asked to submit data to the trust, in order for it to carry out a benchmarking exercise. The trust commissioned work from independent consultants which demonstrated that the existing ISS service costs were within market range. Based on this the trust considered renewing the existing service provider. At the same time the trust was offered a cost reduction package, which included significant reductions within the contract of over £1 million per annum and the part-absorption of a number of annual cost pressures, at the supplier's risk, up to 2018. These factors were considered by the Trust Board on 28 July 2010 and the decision taken to instruct CRHC to extend the ISS contract to 2018 on these terms.
	The contract between CRCH and ISS has been continued with the same output specifications and service agreements in terms of the standard and quality of services ISS are required to deliver. So despite the cost reduction programmes, it is not expected patients and staff will experience any changes in these services. Ministers are satisfied that the trust has therefore secured overall value for money from its renegotiation of this contract and do not therefore intend to discuss this issue with the chief executive of the trust.
	Where national health service hospitals renegotiate existing contracts, relevant business cases and other supporting information should be publicly available for discussion, subject to the commercial interests of the NHS. Final and approved documents must also be published, for example under a trust's Freedom of Information publication scheme, which is again subject to commercial considerations.

Influenza: Vaccination

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he made in October 2010 of the appropriateness of the proposed launch date for the 2010-11 seasonal influenza advertising campaign.

Andrew Lansley: Decisions on seasonal flu related advertising campaigns were taken prior to October 2010. As in previous years, local national health service organisations continued to run targeted communications to people who were eligible for a free flu vaccination.
	In response to data on rising rates of flu infection in England, I received and considered advice over the Christmas period on whether to launch the Catch It Kill It Bin It campaign. This campaign is designed to encourage behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes and regular hand-washing, that are likely to slow the spread of flu. The campaign was launched on 1 January 2011.

Medical Equipment: Counterfeit Manufacturing

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received recent reports on the use of counterfeit pulse oximeter sensors in hospitals.

Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has received reports on the use of counterfeit pulse oximeter sensors which it is investigating.
	MHRA has issued a Medical Device Alert warning interested parties in the national health service to look out for counterfeit sensors and report any such occurrences to the Agency.

Monitor

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the future regulation of  (a) salaries,  (b) bonuses and  (c) pensions of employees of (i) Monitor, (ii) the National Health Service Commissioning Board and (iii) commissioning consortia.

Simon Burns: The proposals outlined in the Health and Social Care Bill would require that Monitor and the National Health Service Commissioning Board must obtain the Secretary of State's approval to its policies on remuneration, payment of pensions and other allowances for employees.
	The Bill also proposes that each commissioning consortium is to be a corporate body which may appoint employees on such terms and conditions (including remuneration) as it determines. The National Health Service Commissioning Board may publish guidance for consortia on the determination of remuneration for employees. Consortia would also be required to publish prescribed information in relation to the remuneration of their employees.

Monitor

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future salary level of the chairman of Monitor in each of the next four years.

Simon Burns: The remuneration level for the chairman of the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts (Monitor), has been advertised as up to £57,000 for two days a week. No appointment has yet been made.

Monitor

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with Monitor to discuss his proposals for NHS reform.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State and other Ministers have had the following meetings with Monitor to discuss the proposals for the national health service reforms:
	
		
			  Date of meeting  Ministers in attendance 
			 15 June 2010 1. Secretary of State 
			   
			 20 July 2010 1. Secretary of State 
			  2. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe) 
			  3. Minister of State (Mr Simon Burns) 
			   
			 1 September 2010 1. Secretary of State 
			  2. Minister of State (Mr Simon Burns) 
			   
			 22 September 2010 1. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe) 
			   
			 11 October 2010 1. Minister of State (Mr Simon Burns) 
			   
			 12 January 2011 1. Secretary of State 
			  2. Minister of State (Mr Simon Burns)

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to assign a role to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the provision of advice to pharmaceutical companies.

Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) currently offers a scientific advice service to pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers about products they have in development and we expect this work to continue. NICE charges a fee for its scientific advice.

NHS Commissioning Board

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to establish the NHS Commissioning Board.

Simon Burns: The NHS Commissioning Board will act in shadow form as a special health authority during 2011-12 and, subject to parliamentary approval, it will be established as a non-departmental public body from April 2012.

NHS: Finance

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients are to be informed of the costs of the treatments they are offered following the implementation of the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill published on 19 January does not include provisions relating to informing patients of the costs of treatments offered.

NHS: Standards

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to revise arrangements for data collection on waiting times for  (a) operations and  (b) diagnostic tests and for publication of such data.

Simon Burns: There are no plans to revise the data that are collected on referral to treatment waiting times and waits for diagnostics tests. These data will continue to be published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/index.htm

Prostate Cancer

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of attendances at general practitioner surgeries by men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The Department has made no estimate of the number of attendees at general practitioner surgeries by men with a diagnosis of cancer, as the data are not centrally collected.
	The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence published Clinical Guideline in February 2008 regarding the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, which includes recommendations for the care and management of men with prostate cancer in primary care.
	Health care professionals should ensure that mechanisms are in place to allow men with prostate cancer and their primary care providers to gain access to specialist services throughout the course of their disease.

WALES

Coal: Industry

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of the coal industry in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) and I have regular discussions with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on a range of issues affecting Wales including the coal industry.
	Wales is leading the way by using its natural resources including clean coal, to help tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the global economy-climate change. New technologies being developed mean there is a real prospect of reducing coal emissions to a level comparable to gas, and there are further benefits to be gained from carbon capture.
	This, in addition to our continued support for the plans for an open cast operation at Tower Colliery near Hirwaun and a new deep mine on the Port Talbot Steelworks site, means that coal continues to have a future in Wales.

Departmental Information Officers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Jones: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 25 January 2011,  Official Report, column 192W, to the hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Mr Llwyd).

Foreign Investment in UK: Higher Education

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the role of higher education in Wales in attracting inward investment; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have regular discussions with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on a range of topics including the role of higher education in attracting inward investment to Wales.
	Higher education plays a major role in attracting investment into Wales. It is vital that Wales offers a skilled and innovative workforce that is able to attract large international companies to locate and invest there.
	My right hon. Friend and I remain committed to working with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers to look at ways to encourage more inward investment to Wales in future. My right hon. Friend has also invited the Welsh Assembly Government to be represented on her Business Advisory Group which focuses on ways to boost trade, investment and the economy in Wales.

Higher Education

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of higher education in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: I have regular discussions with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on a range of issues including higher education.
	Following the conclusion of the Browne Review in England the Welsh Assembly Government have also recognised the need to raise tuition fees in order to make higher education affordable and sustainable in Wales.

Iron and Steel: Industry

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of the steel industry in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have regular discussions with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on a range of issues affecting Wales including the steel industry.
	The steel industry in Wales continues to contribute significantly to the Welsh economy and support Welsh Jobs. For example, there are some 7,000 people employed in Wales by Tata and many times that number employed by the wider economic community of contractors, suppliers and other partners. We continue to work with Tata and the Welsh Assembly Government to take forward the company's plans for a deep mine on the Port Talbot site which could create hundreds more much needed jobs.

Science: Finance

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on science funding in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have regular discussions with the First Minister and Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on a range of issues.
	We are committed to supporting the development of Wales's science and innovation base. We welcome, in particular, funding announced last month from the Welsh Assembly Government, which will help support British Petroleum's new £400 million university science campus in Swansea.
	The new campus is intended to allow academic researchers to collaborate with companies such as Rolls-Royce so they can commercialise ideas. This is good news for Wales, helping to create thousands of jobs and put more than £3 billion into the regional economy over 10 years. It is a significant boost to the Welsh economy as we begin the return to growth and prosperity.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Information Officers

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Stephen O'Brien: The latest figures on communications staff were collated as part of a review of the communications networks within the Department for International Development (DFID). This showed that in April 2010 there were 109 full time equivalent (FTE) staff working in communications roles across the Department. This included staff in both the UK and in overseas offices.
	As a result of the review this number will fall to 60.2 FTE communications posts across DFID by April 2011, and can be broken down as follows:
	 (a) 20.6 press officers
	 (b) five internal communications officers
	 (c) 0 external communications officers
	 (d) 20 strategic communications officers
	 (e) 14.6 other positions with a communications remit, including 10.6 digital communications officers

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to help assist in increasing food production in the developing world; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: In 2010-11, the Department for International Development (DFID) invested £65 million in agricultural research aimed at increased food production, including £36.7 million through support for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Evidence suggests that for every $1 invested in this global partnership at least an additional $9 worth of additional food is produced in developing countries (Raizer 2003).
	As the recent Foresight study by the Government Office of Science into Global Food and Farming Futures states:
	"food production will have to increase by 70% and 100% just to keep up with demand".
	This will be hugely challenging for the global food system. DFID and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will be jointly assessing the recommendations to determine what follow up action to take.

Developing Countries: Government Securities

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to take steps to support the development of the bond market for emerging market sovereign issuers.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have current plans to support the development of the bond market for emerging market sovereign issuers. Before the financial crisis a number of emerging market and low income countries were issuing or exploring bond issuances. The financial crisis reduced the level of interest in these markets.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has contributed to the Turks and Caicos Special Investigation and Prosecution Team since its creation.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not contributed directly to the funding of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Special Investigation and Prosecution Team.
	DFID has provided short term financial support to TCI, now totalling lending of £27.3 million with another £2.6 million available, while finalising a medium term financial package of support for the Territory.

PRIME MINISTER

Pharmaceutical Industry

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has had with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry since his appointment with whom he met in each case; and what the  (a) purpose and  (b) location was of each such meeting.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the list of official meetings by Ministers with external organisations. This list was published for the first time in October 2010 and is published on a quarterly basis, in accordance with the new ministerial code.
	Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline, is part of my business advisory group. This has met on 3 November 2010 and 2 February 2011.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 February 2011,  Official Report, column 854.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Products: Imports

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2011,  Official Report, column 284W, on animal products: imports, what proportion of her Department's budget for paid-for communication about illegal imports will be spent on  (a) print press,  (b) television,  (c) internet and  (d) poster material in each of the next four years.

James Paice: holding answer 3 February 2011
	The proportion of DEFRA's budget allocated between different communication channels for the next four years of this campaign has not yet been determined.
	However, the choice of communication channels will focus on low-cost channels, reflecting the Government-wide reduction in spending on marketing and advertising campaigns.

Animal Welfare

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects her Department's research project on the extent of use and humaneness of snares to report.

James Paice: We expect to publish the report in 2011 but as yet have no firm date.

Bees: Pesticides

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees and other non-target species.

James Paice: The UK pesticides regulatory body-the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD)-has liaised with other EU regulatory authorities that have imposed restrictions on the use of these pesticides. It also reviews developments on how risks to bee health from the use of pesticides are assessed and monitored. CRD scientists attended the 10th International Symposium of the International Commission for Plant-Bee Relationships (ICPBR) on Hazards of Pesticides to Bees, in October 2008; no new scientific evidence was presented at this meeting, or more recently, to suggest a need for changes to current UK pesticide authorisations.
	Ministers have also considered scientific advice, including views of the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides, on a report issued last year by a number of environmental organisations-the Buglife report "The impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on bumblebees, honeybees and other non-target invertebrates (2009)2. The report highlighted a need for data on the impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides on overwintering of bees in the risk assessment process. This issue had already been identified by regulators and is being addressed through changes to the EU regulatory data requirements. Government scientists have continued to keep up to date with emerging findings and we are supporting further work in this area.
	The Government have regularly considered the available evidence in this area and there is no need for an additional review. CRD would act on any substantive evidence should incidents occur in the UK and will continue to monitor research and developments in other EU member states and elsewhere to see if they are relevant to the UK.

Common Fisheries Policy

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what objectives she has set for the outcome of the Common Fisheries Policy review in 2013.

Richard Benyon: We want reform of the Common Fisheries Policy to provide the right framework to deliver healthy fish stocks, and a sustainable living for fishermen. To achieve this, we need radical reform to simplify and decentralise fisheries management, building in the right incentives for fishermen to operate sustainably and profitably, and cutting the terrible waste of discards.

Dangerous Dogs

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dangerous dogs were seized and destroyed in each of the last three years.

James Paice: DEFRA does not hold these data centrally. This information is held by each individual police force.

Departmental Civil Servants

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what senior civil service staff moves there have been in her Department since May 2010; and what the  (a) name and  (b) salary is of each person (i) moving posts within and (ii) leaving her Department.

Richard Benyon: Since May 2010, 10 senior civil servants have moved posts within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and 14 have left.
	Individual names and salaries cannot be disclosed, but the following table shows the number of staff involved whose salary (either current or at the point of departure) falls within each bracket of £20,000:
	
		
			  Salary range  Left  Moved  Total 
			 £50,000-£69,999 3 6 9 
			 £70,000-£89,999 7 3 10 
			 £90,000-£l09,999 3 1 4 
			 £110,000-£129,999 0 0 0 
			 £130,000-£149,999 1 0 1 
			 Total 14 10 24

Departmental Civil Servants

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what senior civil service staff have left her Department since May 2010; and what  (a) contractual and  (b) non-contractual payments were made in each case.

Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have had 17 senior staff leave the Department since May 2010. 11 of these have left following retirement, (five of which recently left under our early retirement scheme), two have resigned, two have transferred to other Government Departments and a further two have left as their Fixed Term Appointments have expired.
	No contractual or non-contractual payments were made to these leavers on normal retirement, resignation or end of FTA, other than their final salary and any outstanding annual leave that they may have had. However, for those staff that left the Department under our early retirement scheme, they received a lump sum payment as part of the terms of the scheme.

Environment

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to commission future local environment quality surveys of England; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Since 2001, the charity Keep Britain Tidy has carried out the Local Environment Quality Survey of England (LEQSE) on behalf of DEFRA. Preparation for the next survey (2010-11) is under way with results expected to be published in the autumn. The LEQSE provides valuable information on levels of cleanliness in the public realm across England, and I expect surveys along these lines to continue through the spending review period.

Environment: Public Expenditure

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the development of policies to enhance the local environment and reduce litter; and how many staff of her Department she expects to be allocated to work on such issues in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Richard Benyon: The Government believe that we need to protect our environment and improve our quality of life and well-being. In particular, the Coalition's programme for government includes the aim of working to reduce litter, a key aspect of local environment quality. DEFRA is working closely with local authorities, business, civil society and others, to develop the "Love Where You Live" behaviour change initiative which it expects to launch publically in the spring.
	Policy development on litter and local environment quality forms part of the work of the Atmosphere and Local Environment Programme in DEFRA. Currently, two members of DEFRA staff work on these issues and, according to current plans, an allocation on broadly this scale is likely to continue through the spending review period. In addition, as part of the spending review settlement, the Government have announced continuing grant support to DEFRA's delivery partner on local environment quality issue, Keep Britain Tidy.

Farming: Salmon

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the provision of assistance to the farmed salmon industry.

Richard Benyon: Grant aid for projects in the fisheries sector is available under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) programme for 2007-13. Fish farming falls under Axis 2 of the scheme, intended for investments in aquaculture and processing and for marketing of fishery and aquaculture products. The EFF promotes the purchase and use of gear, and methods that reduce the impact of aquaculture production on the environment and improve the quality of produce and conditions in terms of human and animal health.

Forestry Commission

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of likely trends in the amount of timber logged from Forestry Commission land under her proposed reforms to the forest estate.

James Paice: No significant impact is expected on the amount of timber being produced. Any new owner would be expected to manage their woodland sustainably in accordance with the UK Forestry Standard and would be subject to normal felling controls.

Forests

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to announce the results of the consultation on her proposals on the sale of the public forest estate in England before Royal Assent to the Public Bodies Bill; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The results of the consultation on the future of the public forest estate will be published as soon as the responses have been fully assessed. This is likely to be in the summer. The date of Royal Assent depends upon the progress of the Public Bodies Bill through Parliament.

Land: Christchurch

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many acres of land in Christchurch constituency are owned or managed by the Forestry Commission; what proportion of such land is open to public access; and what proportion is classified as  (a) heritage and  (b) community forest and woodland.

James Paice: holding answer 7 February 2011
	The Forestry Commission manages approximately 1,211 hectares of land in the Christchurch constituency, the majority of which is freehold and most of this dedicated for public access on foot under the provisions in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
	Of the 116 hectares that is in leasehold ownership more than half is subject to a formal access agreement to allow public access. The remainder has access on public rights of way and although there is no formal agreement, public access is tolerated by the freeholder.
	The land has been given an indicative categorisation on the map that accompanies the consultation on the future of the public forest estate in England. There are 557 hectares of heritage woodland, 428 hectares of multi-purpose woodland and 226 hectares of small commercial woodland.

Litter

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her Department's policy is on the role of the private sector in delivering a national litter campaign;
	(2)  what plans she has for a national coordinating body for delivery of a national litter campaign;
	(3)  whether her Department plans to hold a public consultation on the future of Keep Britain Tidy.

Richard Benyon: "Love Where You Live" is a new behaviour change initiative on litter announced at the National Litter convention in December 2010. Its aim is to work towards a substantially cleaner England by 2020 through encouraging partnerships between business, local authorities and other land managers, communities and civil society. Businesses are expected to play a key role in the development and use of the single anti-littering message, as well as contributing to behaviour change campaigns.
	DEFRA's delivery partner on local environment quality and litter is the charity Keep Britain Tidy who will receive grant-in-aid from Government of £4 million in 2011-12. They will have a central role in co-ordinating work on "Love Where You Live".
	Keep Britain Tidy is a charity independent of Government and was established following a campaign in the 1950s by the National Federation Of Women's Institutes. There are no plans for a public consultation on the future of Keep Britain Tidy.

Shellfish

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in reducing the incidence of crayfish plague.

James Paice: Crayfish plague is not a notifiable disease in England and Wales and is therefore not subject to any formal controls. However, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) does investigate all reported mortalities of crayfish. It also provides advice to other agencies and stakeholders on the most effective ways to contain the disease in the case of a confirmed outbreak. It is believed that most populations of signal crayfish in Great Britain are likely to carry the pathogen causing this disease, and so efforts to prevent the spread of the disease have concentrated on preventing the spread of the carrier species.
	Outbreaks of crayfish plague have been rare in recent years, but to reduce the risk, several measures have been put in place by the Environment Agency (EA). For example, fish movements are licensed through Section 30' consents: through this licensing procedure, the EA is careful to ensure that fish from waters that contain signal crayfish are not moved to those where native crayfish occur. There is an agreed protocol with Natural England to protect protected wildlife sites containing native crayfish.

Squirrels

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the size of the red squirrel population for each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: There is no reliable estimate of the red squirrel population in the UK. It is difficult to obtain an accurate figure as the number of squirrels per hectare varies considerably, due to environmental factors such as food supply, weather conditions and breeding success.

Sustainable Development Commission

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the carrying out of the capacity building activities of the Sustainable Development Commission following its abolition.

James Paice: In November 2010 the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs wrote to the Environmental Audit Committee and Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) explaining that she will transfer some elements of the Commission's capability building expertise back into DEFRA and officials are in the process of agreeing the details of this with the SDC. The Government will announce their wider plans for mainstreaming sustainable development in the near future.

Wildlife: Crime

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has any plans to introduce legislative proposals on wildlife crime.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is currently reviewing the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997, in light of a review of European Regulations in this area as well as developments in domestic enforcement trends and techniques since the regulations were last amended.
	A decision has yet to be made whether to pursue an order under section 45 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 to make possession of pesticides containing certain ingredients an offence.
	We have no other current plans to introduce further legislation.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Information Officers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Attorney-General how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is given in the following table, correct, as of 3 February 2011.
	
		
			  Department  Press officers  Internal communications officers  External communications officers  Communications strategy officers  Other communications officers  Total 
			 Attorney General's Office 3 0 3 
			 Crown Prosecution Service (2)6 (2)5.5 2.5 (1)1 0 34 
			  (3) 9.25 (3)9.75 
			 Serious Fraud Office 2 1 1 0 0 4 
			 Treasury Solicitors Department (4)- 3  0 0.25 3.25 
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 1 0 1 2 
			 National Fraud Authority 1 0 2 (1)2 1 6 
			 (1) Includes Heads of Communication for the CPS and NFA (2) HQ (3) Regional (4) Covered by AGO press office  Note: All posts are given as full-time equivalents. This table does not include public inquiry, correspondence or FOI teams.

TREASURY

Financial Institutions: Incentives

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the names and company affiliations of employees of banks and financial institutions wholly or partially owned by the Government who have received bonuses of £1 million or more in 2010.

Mark Hoban: The Government have taken robust action to tackle unacceptable bonuses. The Financial Services Authority has revised the Remuneration Code and new rules came into force on 1 January 2011, requiring bonuses throughout the banking industry to be deferred and linked to performance and imposing a strict limit on the amount of cash payable upfront.
	In addition, the FSA has also introduced a remuneration disclosure regime requiring banks to issue a report containing qualitative information on pay policies and detailed aggregate quantitative information on the remuneration paid to significant risk takers. The new rules came into force on 1 January 2011 and the banks will have to issue a report at least annually, starting in 2011 in respect of the 2010 financial year.
	The financial institutions in which the Government have a stake will be required to disclose information as required under the revised FSA Remuneration Code.

Bank of England: Public Appointments

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on limiting the tenure of future governors of the Bank of England to a single term.

Mark Hoban: Under the Banking Act 2009, appointments as a Governor or Deputy Governor are for a period of five years and a person may not be appointed as Governor or Deputy Governor more than twice. At present, there are no plans to amend this arrangement.

Banks: Iceland

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to secure the return of local authority funds frozen in Icelandic bank accounts.

Mark Hoban: The local authorities are creditors in the administrations of the failed Icelandic Banks. The timing and quantum of recoveries will be determined by the administrators.
	Contact details for the administrators in the various resolutions are available on the HM Treasury website:
	http://hm-treasury.gov.uk/fin_stability_icelandic_resolution.htm

Child Benefit

Chris Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households that will cease to be eligible for child benefit as a result of the change in the higher rate income tax threshold; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The change to child benefit announced at the spending review does not change the eligibility criteria for child benefit payments. Where a person is currently entitled to receive child benefit they will continue to be entitled to receive payments regardless of whether they or their partner is a higher rate taxpayer, in these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the higher rate taxpayer to notify HMRC that their household is in receipt of child benefit, which will then be recovered through the tax system.
	It is estimated that around 1.5 million households will be affected by the proposed change to child benefit.

Child Care Tax Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of savings which will accrue to the Exchequer as a result of reducing the rate of childcare support from 80% to 70%.

David Gauke: The following table shows the information requested.
	
		
			   Saving (£ million) 
			 2011-12 370 
			 2012-13 430 
			 2013-14 465 
			 2014-15 500 
		
	
	This information can be found in the "Spending Review 2010 Policy Costings" document on the Treasury website:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_policycostings.pdf

Credit Unions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to promote credit unions in the last 13 years; and what plans he has for further such steps in the next five years.

Mark Hoban: In line with the coalition's aim to
	"bring forward detailed proposals to foster diversity, promote mutuals and create a more competitive banking industry"
	the Government are working to reduce barriers to efficiency and growth for credit unions.
	The Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order will enable credit unions to broaden their membership and offer interest on deposits, for example. This will be re-laid in Parliament before Easter.
	The Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies and Credit Unions Act will improve the corporate governance of all Industrial and Provident Societies, including Credit Unions, by applying the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and other aspects of company law. These sections will be commenced over the coming months.
	Government have recently consulted on an electronic communications in the mutual sector, which will help make the mutuals sector, including credit unions, more efficient. The order will be laid before Easter.
	The Government are also planning to bring Northern Ireland credit unions under FSA regulation. This will provide members of these credit unions with access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
	The Treasury's forward plan can be found at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about_business_plan.htm

Debts: Advisory Services

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that residents of Redditch constituency continue to receive independent advice on debt management following the ending of the Financial Inclusion Fund;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of debt advice services in Redditch constituency.

Mark Hoban: The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the FIF, including the face-to-face debt advice service.
	The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.

Economic Situation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reasons for the trend in the level of gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Justine Greening: In preparing their preliminary estimate for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the ONS made it very clear that the fall in GDP was driven by the extreme weather in December, and estimate that without this disruption GDP would have been flat in the fourth quarter.
	Returning the UK to sustainable economic growth is the Government's overriding priority. The OBR and other external bodies forecast a sustained economic recovery in the UK through 2011 and beyond.

EU Grants and Loans

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the consolidated statement on the use of EU funds in the UK for 2008-09, what steps he is taking to reduce the level of EU payment disallowances.

Justine Greening: Significant improvements have been made in the administration of the Single Payment scheme within DEFRA which accounted a significant element of disallowances and we are committed to further improvements to the governance, financial controls and IT systems used in its operation. In addition, we will continue to pursue simplification of the complex EU rules that lead to some errors being made, and have also developed clearer and more comprehensive guidance for Departments on accounting for EU funding.
	The Statement and accompanying audit report strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of the UK's use of EU funds. It helps us detect weaknesses in the UK's management of these funds so that these can be more effectively and rapidly tackled, improving management of EU funds across the board.

Financial Inclusion Fund

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the implications for debt advice services in Redditch of the ending of the Financial Inclusion Fund.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) has always been due to close in March 2011. The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the FIF. In the meantime, the Government have worked with the delivery agencies to understand the potential scale of any redundancies and has taken steps to ensure that any redundancy costs can be met from project funds rather than affecting the viability of those organisations.

Financial Services Authority

Karl McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of the postholder of  (a) chief executive officer,  (b) managing director of wholesale and institutional markets,  (c) managing director of the retail markets business unit and  (d) managing director of supervision at the Financial Services Authority;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place to  (a) assess and  (b) review the qualifications and skills required for the position of (i) chief executive officer, (ii) managing director of wholesale and institutional markets, (iii) managing director of the retail markets business unit and (iv) managing director of supervision at the Financial Services Authority;
	(3)  what mechanisms are in place to assess how the postholder of  (a) chief executive officer and  (b) managing director of supervision at the Financial Services Authority fulfil their responsibilities.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 4 February 2011
	The Financial Services Authority (FSA) currently has one managing director each for supervision, for risk and for enforcement and financial crime.
	The appointment of executive directors is a matter reserved to the board of the FSA. The standard contracts are continuous contracts of employment which contain provision for 12 months prior notice of termination on either side. The appointment of individuals to the board of the FSA is a matter for the Treasury.
	At selection stage for CEO and managing director roles there is a rigorous appointment process using a panel drawn from senior external assessors, FSA non executive directors, in addition to either the chairman or CEO as appropriate.
	Performance assessments of the managing directors are carried out by the chief executive officer and the performance assessment of the CEO is carried out by the chairman. Performance is judged against three key sets of criteria-personal objectives, leadership objectives and achievement of FSA statutory objectives.

Financial Services: Taxation

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's assessment is of  (a) the practical implications of and  (b) the annual level of revenue which would be generated by implementing a tax on financial transactions.

Mark Hoban: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 September 2010,  Official Report, column 1254W.

Intergenerational Equity

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to take steps to ensure that intergenerational equity is included in the Green Book.

David Gauke: The issue of intergenerational equity is already addressed through supplementary guidance to the Green Book. The guidance, "Intergeneration Wealth Transfers and Social Discounting", is available online:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/4(5).pdf
	The guidance advises that, in cases which involve the very long term (at least fifty years), and which involve substantial and irreversible wealth transfers between generations, a sensitivity calculation should be carried out on the discount rate.
	The sensitivity calculation should exclude the 'pure time preference' component of the discount rate. This reflects society's preference for consuming the benefits of policies sooner rather than later so, in some part, reflects impatience. It is not ethically defensible for the pure time preference, or impatience, of the current generation to lead to decisions which do not take full account of the welfare of future generations.
	The other components of the discount rate reflect such factors as the expected growth in consumption (the fact that, if people are expected to be better off in the future than they are now, an extra unit of consumption is generally taken to be worth less), which should continue to be allowed for in long term policy assessments.

National Income

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent forecast is for gross domestic product growth in 2011.

Justine Greening: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts. The OBR published its latest economic forecast on 29 November 2010, which can be found online at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk
	This includes the OBR's forecast for Gross Domestic Product growth in 2011, of 2.1%.
	The Chancellor has asked the OBR to publish a new economic forecast alongside the Budget on 23 March 2011.

Public Expenditure

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the figures underlying the graph on page 21 of the June 2010 Budget showing estimates of the output gap based on alternative trend growth assumptions.

Justine Greening: The figures underlying the graph on page 21 of the June 2010 Budget, showing estimates of the output gap based on alternative trend growth assumptions, have now been placed in the Library.

Public Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the size of the UK budget deficit.

Justine Greening: The latest outturn figure for the Public Sector Net Borrowing (PSNB) is 11.1 % of GDP, or £156.5 billion in 2009-10.
	Outturn figures for PSNB can be found in the public finances databank on the Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psf_statistics.htm
	In their 'Economic and Fiscal forecast', published on 29 November, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecast Public Sector Net Borrowing to 2015-16. This is available at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/d/econ_fiscal_outlook_291110.pdf

Public Sector: Redundancy

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2011,  Official Report, column 316W, on public sector: redundancies, if he will take steps to ensure that public sector workers aged over 50 years are not disproportionately adversely affected by public sector redundancies during the comprehensive spending review period.

Danny Alexander: It will be for individual employers to determine the exact workforce implications of their settlements.
	The Government will support employers to do everything they can to mitigate the impact of public sector job losses by protecting jobs through pay and pensions reform, ensuring that staff in different public sector workforces and each region will have visibility of suitable vacancies, encouraging local employers to explore voluntary deals with staff on pay restraint or reduced hours in order to save jobs, and actively monitoring potential workforce reductions, enabling decisions to be taken in time to mitigate localised impacts.

VAT: Gravestones

Jason McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much value added tax was raised on grave headstones in the last 12 months;
	(2)  if he will consider exempting value added tax on headstones for the graves of children who died when aged under 16 years; and if he will estimate the consequent loss of revenue to the Exchequer.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold data relating to VAT collected on specific goods or services such as grave headstones.
	The services provided by an undertaker in connection with a burial or cremation are exempt from VAT. However, long-standing agreements with our EU partners, signed by successive governments, mean that we cannot extend the scope of this exemption to include headstones and similar commemorative items.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Fuel Prices

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect on economic growth in Northern Ireland of recent increases in fuel prices.

Owen Paterson: The sterling oil price has risen 28% over the past year. The Government consider a range of factors when making their assessment of economic activity and growth in the UK. The Office for Budget Responsibility's November forecast shows that the Government's plans will deliver sustainable growth for each of the next five years.

Capital Investment

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to ensure that commitments to capital investment in Northern Ireland made as part of the St Andrews agreement are delivered.

Hugo Swire: Notwithstanding the dreadful financial situation, the Government stand by the commitment they gave to support the £18 billion capital investment strategy in Northern Ireland.
	Over £9 billion has already been invested through a number of funding streams and we believe Northern Ireland is on target to meet the 2017-18 deadline.

Economic Affairs

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the state of the Northern Ireland economy.

Owen Paterson: The economy in Northern Ireland is dominated by too large a public sector. Around 77% of GDP, according to one survey is dependent on public expenditure. We are working with Northern Ireland Ministers to rebalance the economy.

Inward Investment

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had on inward investment into Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: This is largely a devolved matter but I work closely with Northern Ireland Ministers to explore ways to attract inward investment to Northern Ireland. Last week at Hillsborough, the Minister for Trade and Investment, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, and I met with the Enterprise Minister (Arlene Foster) and a number of key business representatives to discuss investment and growth.

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the incidence of cross-border human trafficking.

Hugo Swire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Northern Ireland Justice Minister have been working in close co-operation with the authorities in the Republic of Ireland to tackle this despicable activity. I stand ready to offer what assistance I can to ensure that we continue to tackle human trafficking.

Corporation Tax

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Government's policy is on reductions to the rate of corporation tax in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: The Government aim to publish a consultation document setting out potential options for rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy, including a discussion of the potential costs and benefits of a reduction in the rate of corporation tax, as soon as possible. Treasury and Northern Ireland Office Ministers are in discussions with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on the content of the paper.

Departmental Information Officers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Owen Paterson: My Department employs a Director of Communications and has in place a secondment arrangement for two Information Officers from the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, which is sponsored by my Department, employs four full-time staff in communication roles including media engagement, publications and web management. No communications staff are employed by the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland or the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many  (a) apprenticeship and  (b) advanced apprenticeship starts there were in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (ii) the London borough of Bexley and (iii) Greater London in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what proportion of  (a) apprenticeship and  (b) advanced apprenticeship starts in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (ii) the London borough of Bexley and (iii) Greater London in each of the last five years were (A) men and (B) women;
	(3)  how many  (a) apprenticeship and  (b) advanced apprenticeship starts there were in each sector in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (ii) the London borough of Bexley and (iii) Greater London in each of the last five years.

John Hayes: The information is as follows:
	Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts by level and gender for Bexleyheath and Crayford parliamentary constituency, Bexley local authority and Greater London region in academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10, the latest years for which full year data are available.
	Table 2 shows apprenticeship starts by level and sector subject area for Bexleyheath and Crayford parliamentary constituency and Bexley local authority in academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10, the latest years for which full year data are available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by level, geography and gender, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 
			2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Apprenticeship (Level 2) Female 90 54 90 53 120 49 100 54 150 56 
			  Male 80 46 80 47 120 51 90 46 120 44 
			  Total 170 100 170 100 240 100 190 100 260 100 
			 
			 Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) Female 20 31 40 39 30 35 40 38 50 42 
			  Male 50 69 60 61 60 65 70 62 70 58 
			  Total 70 100 90 100 100 100 110 100 120 100 
			 
			 Higher Level Apprenticeship (Level 4+) Female - - - - - - - - - - 
			  Male - - - - - - - - - - 
			  Total - - - - - - - - - - 
			 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford total  240  260  340  310  380  
		
	
	
		
			  Bexley local authority 
			2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Apprenticeship (Level 2) Female 230 55 240 54 260 47 250 50 350 52 
			  Male 190 45 200 46 300 53 250 50 310 48 
			  Total 420 100 440 100 560 100 490 100 660 100 
			 
			 Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) Female 70 34 80 34 100 38 120 45 140 43 
			  Male 140 66 150 66 170 62 140 55 180 57 
			  Total 210 100 240 100 270 100 260 100 320 100 
			 
			 Higher Level Apprenticeship (Level 4+) Female - - - - - - - - - - 
			  Male - - - - - - - - - - 
			  Total - - - - - - - - - - 
			 
			 Bexley total  620  670  830  760  980  
		
	
	
		
			  Greater London region 
			2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Apprenticeship (Level 2) Female 4,120 53 4,020 52 5,040 51 6,190 54 7,340 52 
			  Male 3,650 47 3,690 48 4,890 49 5,320 46 6,710 48 
			  Total 7,770 100 7,710 100 9,930 100 11,510 100 14,050 100 
			 
			 Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) Female 1,400 43 1,460 43 2,240 49 3,060 54 3,090 49 
			  Male 1,850 57 1,920 57 2,340 51 2,600 46 3,160 51 
			  Total 3,250 100 3,380 100 4,580 100 5,660 100 6,250 100 
			 
			 Higher Level Apprenticeship (Level 4+) Female - - - - 10 - 10 - 20 46 
			  Male - - - - - - - - 30 54 
			  Total - - - - 10 - 10 - 50 100 
			 
			 Greater London region total  11,010  11,090  14,520  17,180  20,350  
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship programme starts by level, geography and sector subject area, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 
			2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - 10 - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Arts, Media and Publishing Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - - - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Business, Administration and Law Apprenticeship (Level 2) 40 50 60 50 70 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 10 20 20 20 30 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Apprenticeship (Level 2) 40 40 60 40 30 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 10 10 20 30 30 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Education and Training Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - - - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - 10 - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 20 30 20 10 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 20 40 30 20 20 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Health, Public Services and Care Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 10 20 20 20 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - 10 10 10 20 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Information and Communication Technology Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 - - - 10 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - - 10 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 10 10 10 20 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 10 - 10 10 10 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise Apprenticeship (Level 2) 50 40 60 50 90 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 10 20 10 20 10 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Unknown Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - - - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - 10 - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency total  240 260 340 310 380 
		
	
	
		
			  Bexley local authority 
			2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 10 10 10 10 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Arts, Media and Publishing Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - - - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Business, Administration and Law Apprenticeship (Level 2) 110 110 140 120 170 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 30 30 60 60 70 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Apprenticeship (Level 2) 90 90 130 110 90 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 30 30 40 60 80 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Education and Training Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - - - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - 10 - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Apprenticeship (Level 2) 40 50 70 60 40 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 60 100 80 40 40 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Health, Public Services and Care Apprenticeship (Level 2) 30 30 30 40 60 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 20 20 30 30 50 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Information and Communication Technology Apprenticeship (Level 2) 20 - 10 10 10 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) 10 10 10 - 20 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 20 30 30 60 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) 20 10 30 20 20 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise Apprenticeship (Level 2) 110 110 130 120 220 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 20 40 20 40 40 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Unknown Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 - 10 - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) 20 10 10 - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Bexley local authority total  620 670 830 760 980 
		
	
	
		
			  Greater London region 
			2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care Apprenticeship (Level 2) 210 200 250 280 380 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 40 30 70 60 80 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Arts, Media and Publishing Apprenticeship (Level 2) 10 - - - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 20 - - 50 100 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Business, Administration and Law Apprenticeship (Level 2) 1,880 1,790 2,980 3,800 4,400 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 510 520 920 1,470 1,480 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - 40 
			
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Apprenticeship (Level 2) 1,130 1,100 1,340 1,110 990 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 430 390 400 730 790 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Education and Training Apprenticeship (Level 2) - - - 30 50 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) - - - 180 70 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Apprenticeship (Level 2) 660 770 1,070 1,110 1,080 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 830 980 1,050 600 530 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Health, Public Services and Care Apprenticeship (Level 2) 1,050 1,130 950 1,240 1,880 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 640 690 1,100 1,190 1,500 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Information and Communication Technology Apprenticeship (Level 2) 300 290 360 610 550 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 140 110 220 350 760 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - 10 10 10 
			
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism Apprenticeship (Level 2) 300 270 430 820 1,150 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 150 170 320 550 560 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise Apprenticeship (Level 2) 2,050 2,030 2,300 2,510 3,560 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 240 370 420 490 400 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Unknown Apprenticeship (Level 2) 180 130 240 - - 
			  Advanced Apprenticeship (level 3) 250 120 80 - - 
			  Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4) - - - - - 
			
			 Greater London region total  11,010 11,090 14,520 17,180 20,350 
			 '-' indicates a base value of less than five (or related percentage).  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2011 http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current  Source: Individualised Learner Record

Apprentices: Pay

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average wage of an apprentice is in each region.

John Hayes: The most recent survey of apprentices' pay in England was undertaken in 2007, and estimated that the average net pay per week for an apprentice was £170. The report does not provide estimates of average pay by region.
	The full report-'Apprenticeship Pay: 2007 Survey of Earnings by Sector'-can be accessed at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/migratedD/publications/D/DIUS_RR_08_05
	The Department plans to undertake a UK-wide survey of apprenticeship pay this year.
	The coalition Government recently strengthened the pay arrangements for apprentices by bringing them within the National Minimum Wage (NMW) framework and ending the exemption from the minimum wage for apprentices. A new minimum pay rate of £2.50 per hour came in from 1 October 2010 and applies to apprentices aged under 19, and those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship. Apprentices aged 19 and over who have completed a year on their apprenticeship continue to remain eligible for the full NMW rate appropriate to their age.

BP

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of BP on company law and company reporting.

Edward Davey: In the past two months, there has been no meeting with BP alone. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and I had a meeting with business representatives, which included BP to discuss corporate governance issues. In addition BP were represented at one of the meetings that BIS officials had with business representatives about company reporting issues.

Departmental Information Officers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The Department currently employs in its central communications function:
	 (a) 26 press officers;
	 (b) 8.3 internal communications officers;
	 (c) 39 external communications officers;
	 (d) one communications strategy officer;
	 (e) five other positions with a communications remit-four speechwriters and a Director of Communications.
	There are also 24 officers with a significant communications remit embedded in policy teams across the Department.
	Data on present staffing levels in each of the Department's NDPB's cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 7 February 2011:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department or the most recent date for which figures are available.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business. Innovation and Skills at the current time has:
	a. Three Press Officers
	b. One Internal Communications Officer
	c. Two External Communications Officers
	d. None
	e One Communications Team Assistant; 1 Head of Communications, and One Director of Strategy, Planning and Communications.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 8 February 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 02/02/2011 [reference 2010/3753] asking how many press officers, internal communications officers, external communications officers, communications strategy officers and other positions with a communications remit were employed on the most recent date for which figures are available.
	The NMO defines communications in this Agency to cover the following disciplines:
	Internal communications
	Digital/social media
	Strategic communications
	Corporate communications
	Marketing
	Media and Press
	Currently we employ two members of staff (2 FTE) whose roles cover all the above categories and one member of staff whose role is embedded in an operational delivery team and whose duties (equivalent to 0.3 FTE) include some of the above, more specifically dealing with the media and press, strategic communications and production of physical and electronic information.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 3 February 2011:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 2 February 2011, UIN 38965 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has a team of four people who act as both press officers and internal communications officers. As a customer facing organisation a large proportion of Companies House staff has a role in communications. For example, as of today's date we have a contact centre of approximately a hundred people who communicate with external customers on all aspects of our work. We also have teams who, as part of their overall work, provide customer support on specialist subjects such as search facilities, e-filing, liquidation, mortgage etc.
	 Letter from Skills Funding Agency, dated 9 February 2011:
	Thank you for your named day question asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in positions with a communications remit are currently employed by the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency).
	In the Agency there are:
	a) 4 press officers
	b) 7 internal communications officers
	c) none
	d)none
	e) 32 (including 4 from UK Skills).
	In the National Apprenticeship Service there are:
	a) none
	b) none
	c) none
	d)none
	e) 17
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 9 February 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 02/02/2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	IPO, an executive agency of BIS has the following communications staff: -
	(a) Press officers - 0 (however IPO currently funds a press officer based in BIS)
	(b) Internal communications officers - 3 (2.5 FTE)
	(c) External communications officers - 1
	(d) Communications strategy officers - 0
	(e) Other communications positions (marketing communications) - 2

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which persons not employed by Government Departments or agencies hold passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises.

Edward Davey: Passes may be issued to those who are required to make frequent visits to specific Government sites, subject to the usual security checks. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to provide details of individuals who hold such passes.

Export Credit Guarantees: Egypt

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what projects in Egypt supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) in the last 30 years is debt owed to the ECGD; and how much is owed on each such project.

Edward Davey: There are outstanding debts owed by Egypt of £98.52 million, which are the subject of two rescheduling agreements dated 1987 and 1991, that relate to some 400 export contracts entered into before 31 October 1986. Details of the goods or services supplied under the individual contracts are no longer held nor the specific amount of outstanding debt under each contract.
	ECGD also has a contingent exposure of £66.8 million relating to performing export contracts, mainly relating to the supply of Airbus aircraft.

Higher Education: Females

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many women in  (a) Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England (i) applied and (ii) were accepted onto science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree courses at each university in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: Information on female applicants to higher education to science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree courses is included in the following tables and is provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	Figures for Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency and the north-east are not available for each individual institution as numbers are too small. Figures for English domiciles to individual institutions are suppressed in cases where there are less than five applicants, or less than five accepted applicants.
	
		
			  Female applicants and accepted applicants from England applying for STEM courses by institution (where numbers permit) 
			   2008  2009  2010 
			   Applicants  Accepts  Applicants  Accepts  Applicants  Accepts 
			 The University of Aberdeen 228 61 250 88 412 80 
			 Aberystwyth University 501 170 537 152 765 209 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 644 185 692 220 760 287 
			 Aston University, Birmingham 1,967 305 1,700 289 2,368 383 
			 Bangor University 1,009 298 1,073 336 1,131 314 
			 University of Bath 2,214 360 2,073 359 2,100 346 
			 Bath Spa University 621 106 591 87 720 116 
			 University of Bedfordshire 567 183 725 253 781 227 
			 Birmingham City University 596 187 987 221 1,219 262 
			 The University of Birmingham 3,233 635 3,583 653 3,911 589 
			 University College Birmingham 126 59 191 51 182 66 
			 Bishop Burton College 62 19 50 18 45 26 
			 Blackburn College 10 21 12 26 49 61 
			 The University of Bolton 589 97 567 143 606 139 
			 Bournemouth University 1,120 242 1,624 349 2,186 301 
			 The University of Bradford 1,233 368 1,307 432 1,376 424 
			 University of Brighton 1,257 264 1,479 291 1,698 329 
			 University of Bristol 3,929 421 3,745 441 3,770 500 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 1,540 419 1,644 462 2,000 457 
			 Brunel University 2,440 447 2,510 512 2,122 450 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 140 64 201 73 253 60 
			 University of Cambridge 361 99 370 65 379 88 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 778 192 869 211 919 200 
			 Cardiff University 2,140 423 2,339 443 2,327 471 
			 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 529 115 542 123 559 121 
			 University of Central Lancashire 1,133 335 1,373 379 1,612 379 
			 University of Chester 1,216 225 1,053 169 1,214 182 
			 University of Chichester 419 82 492 96 611 105 
			 City University 1,418 279 1,634 252 1,718 236 
			 Cornwall College 127 76 147 91 151 94 
			 Coventry University 1,335 356 1,474 418 1,688 437 
			 University of Cumbria 314 98 359 128 331 112 
			 De Montfort University 1,014 294 1,072 318 1,482 314 
			 University of Derby 963 181 1,028 246 1,297 227 
			 Doncaster College 35 22 39 16 47 13 
			 University of Dundee 108 28 147 30 228 26 
			 Durham University 2,210 422 2,111 447 2,234 479 
			 University of East Anglia 1,232 367 1,469 348 2,064 417 
			 University of East London 1,231 476 1,179 516 1,452 529 
			 Edge Hill University 580 168 591 176 754 175 
			 The University of Edinburgh 1,802 254 2,149 245 1,690 90 
			 Edinburgh Napier University 68 10 63 8 117 11 
			 The University of Essex 689 188 771 188 938 214 
			 University of Exeter 2,499 504 2,915 499 2,868 453 
			 University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd 215 48 289 69 417 105 
			 University of Glasgow 403 59 463 76 453 46 
			 Glasgow Caledonian University 43 5 54 5 85 5 
			 The University of Gloucestershire 568 172 634 186 639 163 
			 Goldsmiths (University of London) 875 179 870 135 806 126 
			 University of Greenwich 1,055 209 1,110 213 1,425 333 
			 Harper Adams University College 25 8 35 7 42 5 
			 Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh 142 23 149 40 190 19 
			 University of Hertfordshire 2,055 552 2,248 676 2,759 431 
			 The University of Huddersfield 1,421 338 1,290 357 1,283 353 
			 The University of Hull 1,276 388 1,401 374 1,626 302 
			 Imperial College London 1,342 274 1,273 271 1,222 251 
			 Keele University 974 213 1,024 262 1,338 206 
			 The University of Kent 1,490 364 1,787 390 2,195 450 
			 King's College London (University of London) 2,099 351 2,255 277 2,398 279 
			 Kingston University 2,288 530 2,269 556 2,672 602 
			 Lancaster University 1,266 277 1,170 291 1,186 318 
			 University of Leeds 4,743 894 4,825 820 4,928 802 
			 Leeds Trinity University College 319 87 379 73 369 74 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 1,852 381 2,072 335 2,553 367 
			 University of Leicester 2,002 367 1,958 322 2,363 358 
			 University of Lincoln 941 271 1,025 322 1,344 311 
			 The University of Liverpool 2,614 548 2,733 513 3,021 599 
			 Liverpool Hope University 404 53 359 70 481 73 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 1,296 393 1,348 388 1,566 477 
			 London Metropolitan University 880 151 893 119 953 158 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London) 93 8 53 14 108 22 
			 London South Bank University 1,052 267 1,274 249 1,406 322 
			 Loughborough College 48 27 61 39 57 34 
			 Loughborough University 1,811 419 2,089 341 2,343 374 
			 The University of Manchester 4,228 930 4,478 902 4,428 855 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 2,772 545 3,122 595 3,422 674 
			 Medway School of Pharmacy 289 57 354 99 456 105 
			 Middlesex University 879 172 1,059 229 1,264 292 
			 Newcastle University 2,001 356 2,114 407 2,302 441 
			 Newcastle College 29 13 33 19 37 32 
			 Newman University College, Birmingham 239 64 254 52 299 49 
			 University of Wales, Newport 71 7 70 14 61 20 
			 University of Northampton 840 155 891 196 848 210 
			 Northumbria University 1,367 431 1,412 400 1,619 470 
			 Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education (an Associate College of UEA) 40 27 46 24 62 34 
			 The University of Nottingham 4,195 677 4,284 599 4,658 577 
			 Nottingham Trent University 2,008 572 2,258 572 2,905 624 
			 Oxford University 922 289 1,065 310 1,238 290 
			 Oxford Brookes University 982 146 1,116 176 1,277 174 
			 University of Plymouth 1,852 562 1,807 489 1,884 551 
			 UCP Marjon University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 110 27 83 21 98 19 
			 University of Portsmouth 2,308 553 2,405 559 2,867 648 
			 Queen Margaret University , Edinburgh 99 14 105 15 99 5 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 1,217 392 1,725 352 2,102 405 
			 Queen's University Belfast 112 15 145 16 164 19 
			 The University of Reading 2,027 390 2,169 338 2,337 376 
			 Roehampton University 658 217 706 162 707 222 
			 Royal Holloway, University of London 1,333 306 1,188 288 1,582 282 
			 The University of Salford 1,115 264 1,103 300 1,317 332 
			 The School of Pharmacy (University of London) 615 112 654 116 677 108 
			 The University of Sheffield 2,676 449 3,097 488 3,569 507 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 2,519 578 2,746 610 3,295 547 
			 University of Southampton 3,004 499 3,289 476 3,461 537 
			 Southampton Solent University 551 164 638 147 697 148 
			 University of St Andrews 586 100 582 66 574 82 
			 South East Essex College (partner of the University of Essex) 24 12 25 13 29 15 
			 St George's, University of London (formerly St George's Hospital Medical School) 593 102 617 101 751 100 
			 St Mary's University College, Twickenham 549 129 524 105 526 104 
			 Staffordshire University 913 215 1,012 269 1,138 252 
			 The University of Stirling 145 30 118 24 145 29 
			 The University of Strathclyde 75 10 82 10 121 11 
			 University Campus Suffolk 146 62 134 62 166 70 
			 University of Sunderland 590 214 691 215 738 206 
			 University of Surrey 1,326 215 1,532 247 993 202 
			 University of Sussex 1,565 373 1,530 376 1,814 363 
			 Swansea University 598 126 604 175 861 193 
			 Teesside University 860 308 890 319 1,011 351 
			 Thames Valley University 246 81 238 96 313 150 
			 Truro and Penwith College (Formerly Truro College) 65 38 78 45 76 43 
			 University of the Arts London 209 60 162 44 191 51 
			 University College London (University of London) 2,256 254 2,272 287 2,259 312 
			 The University of Warwick 2,562 281 2,226 254 2,367 292 
			 College of West Anglia 32 23 34 27 42 21 
			 University of Westminster 1,144 293 1,096 378 1,231 345 
			 University of Wolverhampton 1,107 273 1,014 343 1,286 320 
			 University of Winchester 336 85 346 72 390 54 
			 University of Worcester 728 168 779 198 933 215 
			 The University of York 2,266 341 2,424 369 2,679 365 
			 York College 17 10 28 17 24 9 
			 York St John University 549 115 588 75 573 68 
		
	
	
		
			  Female applicants and accepted applicants from Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency, the  north-  east and England applying for STEM courses 
			  Geographical area   2008  2009  2010 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency Applied 102 119 99 
			  Accepted 60 65 46 
			  
			 North East Applied 2,080 2,184 2,354 
			  Accepted 1,422 1,349 1,406 
			  
			 England Applied 47,823 50,774 55,038 
			  Accepted 31,248 32,237 33,223 
			  Notes  to tables: 1. Includes applicants and accepted applicants to HE courses in FE colleges. 2. Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency has been identified using the home postcode regardless of declared area of permanent residence. Declared area of permanent residence has been used to identify the region and country. 3. STEM subjects have been identified using the following subject groups and lines: Group C: Biological Sciences; Group F: Physical Sciences; Group G: Mathematical and Computer Sciences; Group H: Engineering; Group J: Technologies; B1: Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology; B2: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy; B8: Medical Technology; and D7: Agricultural Sciences. Applicants included in this extraction have applied for at least one course from these STEM subjects.  Source: UCAS

Higher Education: Foreign Investment in UK

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with higher education institutions on promoting inward investment; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills recognises the major contribution of the higher education sector to attracting high-quality inward investment to the UK. Ministers and officials regularly engage with higher education organisations on the topic of international activities and opportunities. On 1 February I addressed a Universities UK and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) supported conference on higher education opportunities in Europe.
	UKTI's R and D Partnerships programme is available free of charge to help organisations find the right UK academic or commercial partner for research and development collaborations.
	UKTI also has a University Liaison Officer who interacts with universities at a senior level to promote international engagement. This includes the potential for collaboration with internationally focused companies for inward investment or export purposes.

Innovation: Manufacturing Industries

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications to become a technology and innovation Centre focused on high value manufacturing the Technology Strategy Board has received.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board has received 142 registrations of interest from organisations interested in forming all or part of the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre.

Money Lenders: Interest Rates

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on capping the level of interest rates charged by doorstep lenders.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and HM Treasury are currently reviewing the consumer credit and personal insolvency regime. This is a thorough review of consumer credit and personal insolvency, looking at all the measures that could be taken to support people in difficulty and help them resolve their debts, including the impact of any interest rate cap on doorstep lending. A call for evidence made in connection with the review has recently closed and we are currently considering the substantial number of responses received.
	Government will make an announcement on next steps in the spring.

Students: Fees and Charges

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on tuition fees; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Since December, when Parliament approved maximum tuition charges for academic year 2012/13, we have received a number of representations on behalf of students, universities and other organisations. We are considering these, as well as maintaining our regular contacts with bodies representing both institutions and students, as we move to finalise the higher education student support package.
	Our next legislative steps to put the new system in place are through clauses in the Education Bill currently before Parliament. These will provide for the introduction of new, more progressive, interest rates on the repayment of student loans, and also allow us to regulate tuition charges for part-time courses, to which we will be extending loan support so that eligible part-time students will no longer have to pay for tuition up-front.

Supermarkets: Competition

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a food prices code adjudicator for the dairy industry.

Edward Davey: None. In August 2010, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills announced that the Government will establish the groceries code adjudicator to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP). The code covers the groceries supply chain, including the dairy sector, to large retailers. The Government have not considered a specific code of practice to cover food prices for the dairy industry.

UN Special Representative on Business: Human Rights

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the proposals to the UN by the UN Special Representative on business and human rights.

Henry Bellingham: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government welcome the draft guiding principles developed by Professor Ruggie, the UN Special Representative on business and human rights. We believe they should offer a sure foundation for states and businesses to improve their performance with regard to human rights. The Government will consider in due course the impact of the draft principles on domestic legislation, policy practices for businesses operating in the UK and British businesses operating overseas, and implications for our foreign policy and international relations.
	We have worked closely with Professor Ruggie as he refines the principles, following his consultations with businesses, states and civil society organisations. The guiding principles are due for consideration by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011 and the UK will work to build consensus for their adoption. Further information on Professor Ruggie's work in his capacity as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights is available at:
	http://www.business-humanrights.org/SpecialRepPortal/Home

Universities

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on provisions by his Department to assist universities under financial pressures and at risk of closure.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council is (HEFCE) under a legal duty to consider the financial health of those institutions it funds. HEFCE's internal Assurance Services are responsible for monitoring financial dealings with institutions and their overall financial health. It undertakes audit work in institutions and assesses institutional risk.
	Where an institution is identified as at high risk they receive intensive expert support and financial assistance where appropriate. However, as they are autonomous institutions if a university does mismanage its affairs, we cannot offer a guarantee of protection.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls the Health and Safety Executive's asbestos hotline number received  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) in 2011 to date.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive does not have an asbestos hotline number. Access to general health and safety information is provided through its Infoline contact centre service.
	In each of the last five years the number of calls received concerning asbestos was:
	
		
			   Number of calls received 
			 2006 9,137 
			 2007 9,705 
			 2008 24,076 
			 2009 14,917 
			 2010 12,550 
		
	
	The numbers of calls are high in 2008 and 2009 when the Health and Safety Executive ran asbestos awareness campaigns.
	For 2011 the total number of asbestos related calls received up to and including 1 February was:
	
		
			   Number of calls received 
			 2011 862

Asbestos

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time inspectors are employed in the Health and Safety Executive's asbestos division; and how many he expects to be employed in that division in each of the next five years.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not have an 'Asbestos Division' per se. However, relevant HSE inspectors are all appropriately trained and possess the necessary skills and competence to be able to deal with asbestos during any interventions they may undertake. Should specialist resource be required, this is also available within HSE.

Asbestos: Enforcement

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) prosecutions there were and  (b) enforcement and prohibition notices were issued by the Health and Safety Executive regarding asbestos in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: The number of prosecutions brought and completed by HSE for breaches of asbestos regulations in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Prosecutions 
			 2005-06 15 
			 2006-07 9 
			 2007-08 16 
			 2008-09 16 
			 2009-10 12 
		
	
	The number of enforcement (improvement and prohibition) notices issued by HSE for breaches of asbestos regulations in each of the last five years is:
	
		
			   Improvement notices  Prohibition notices  Total enforcement notices 
			 2005-06 29 61 90 
			 2006-07 67 76 143 
			 2007-08 93 80 173 
			 2008-09 130 91 221 
			 2009-10 219 124 343

Asbestos: Publicity

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the most recent phase of the Health and Safety Executive's Hidden Killer campaign.

Chris Grayling: The most recent phase of the Health and Safety Executive's Hidden Killer campaign ran throughout November and early December 2009, with a further activity in February 2010. The total cost of the activity was £1.78 million.
	Activity included targeted radio and press advertising, PR activity, stakeholder activity, direct mail and online marketing.

Asbestos: Publicity

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what mechanism the Health and Safety Executive monitored the effectiveness of the first two phases of its Hidden Killer campaign; and what the findings were.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive advises Government on matters relating to worker safety and occupational illness. HSE's evidence is that asbestos is Britain's biggest industrial killer, responsible for an estimated 4,000 deaths per year. HSE's 'Asbestos: Hidden Killer' campaign was aimed at tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians and joiners who are the group currently at highest risk from exposure to potentially fatal asbestos fibres.
	Evidence has been used to inform the Hidden Killer project from the start with independent researchers monitoring the effectiveness of all phases of the campaign.
	Full details of the evaluation on both phases are available on HSE's website at:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/hiddenkiller/finding-out-more.htm
	Continental Research evaluated the first national wave of activity (February 2009); their results demonstrated the campaign achieved excellent recognition with 80% of the target audience aware of publicity surrounding asbestos and 72% aware of specific elements of the press or radio adverts. Crucially 89% of the target audience agreed that the adverts were "aimed at someone like me" and over half of those who saw or heard the advertising claim to have taken more safety precautions when working with asbestos.
	The second wave of national activity was evaluated by BMG Research and demonstrates further significant uplifts in already high levels of awareness surrounding the risk of asbestos (to 85%). The attitudinal response remained positive with significant uplifts in the proportion agreeing it is "aimed at someone like me" (to 93%) and that if "got me thinking about may exposure at work" (90%). Outcomes include that nine in 10 of those who recognise an element of the campaign report having taken, or planning to take, some action as a result.
	Traffic to HSE's website has been monitored with a 600% increase on page requests compared to a similar period the year before.

Asbestos: Publicity

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will  (a) commission and  (b) fund a public information campaign to warn construction workers of the dangers posed by asbestos following the cancellation of his Department's Hidden Killer campaign.

Chris Grayling: The 'Hidden Killer' campaign has not been cancelled. It is currently in a phase of assessment and evaluation to enable HSE to determine the way forward. The web pages, and other materials, are still accessible and available and additional elements are being actively considered by HSE for possible future delivery. The target audiences for any activity that emerges from this process will continue to include construction workers especially trades such as plumbers, electricians, joiners, plasterers and decorators.

Atos Origin

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of its contract with Atos Healthcare to carry out work capability assessments for employment and support allowance claims in each of the last two years.

Chris Grayling: The total cost of the DWP Medical Services contract with Atos Healthcare, a division of Atos Origin, is in the region of £100 million per annum. This estimate covers the total number of examinations undertaken across all benefits and also includes costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements.
	The total amount paid to Atos Healthcare by DWP for the scrutiny, face to face and work focused health related assessment reports was in:
	2008-09: £1.7 million
	2009-10: £24.4 million
	These figures do not include costs relating to fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty domestic boiler installation.

Chris Grayling: Legislation requires anyone who installs gas appliances to be on a statutory register. Gas Safe Register operates this registration scheme under an agreement with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Engineers must demonstrate their competence to join the scheme through the successful completion of independent assessments and are reassessed every five years. Gas Safe Register has over 80 inspectors who carry out risk based inspections of gas work by registered engineers and since the launch of the scheme on 1 April 2009 over 68,650 such inspections have been completed. Gas Safe Register also has a dedicated team who investigate those who carry out gas work but are not registered.
	HSE takes enforcement action where breaches of gas safety legislation are identified and around 10% of the total offences prosecuted by HSE relate to gas safety. Since 1 April 2010 HSE has prosecuted 34 gas safety related cases and issued 148 enforcement notices.
	HSE and Gas Safe Register also work to raise consumer awareness of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, through awareness raising promotions and media campaigns.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to raise the level of awareness of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty domestic boiler installation.

Chris Grayling: The Government takes gas safety and awareness of carbon monoxide issues very seriously and provides significant information on websites and in published information. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises consumers to always use a Gas Safe registered engineer for all gas work in their home, including domestic boiler installation, and to ensure that any gas appliances are regularly serviced and maintained. Although not a substitute for the correct installation or maintenance of an appliance, HSE also strongly recommends the use of audible carbon monoxide alarms.
	In April 2009 HSE launched the Gas Safe Register, the statutory registration scheme for gas engineers. The scheme has the strong focus of raising consumer awareness of gas safety risks and has undertaken significant campaigns, including national TV advertising, coverage on a wide variety of consumer programmes and national and regional press and radio, along with regional and community events. Research by the Gas Safe Register has shown that 81% of consumers are aware of gas safety risks and the Gas Safe Register.
	HSE and Gas Safe Register continue to work to raise awareness of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, including focusing on vulnerable groups. The 'Let's talk gas safety' campaign focused at the Over 65's has recently launched, involving close working with local 'Age UK' groups and this will be supplemented throughout the year with both general and targeted awareness raising promotions and ongoing media campaigns.

Carers' Benefits

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with carers' organisations on the proposed changes in carers' benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: The Government recognise that the United Kingdom's six million carers play an indispensable role in looking after family members or friends who need support.
	We have had discussions with disabled people, their carers and a broad range of organisations from grass-root and user-led organisations to umbrella groups and national charities, including representatives of Carers UK, on a range of carer issues, including benefits.
	The Government are currently considering whether changes to carer's allowance will be necessary to take account of the introduction of universal credit and provide clearer, more effective support for carers. We will continue to have ongoing discussions with a broad range of organisations to ensure carers get the personalised support they need with respect to their caring responsibilities, to have a normal family and community life, fulfil their educational and employment potential and maintain good health.

Children: Maintenance

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many open cases including new claims were added to the Child Support Agency IT system in each of the last three years; and how many open cases were removed from the system in order to be administered manually in each such year.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many open cases including new claims were added to the Child Support Agency IT system in each of the last three years; and how many open cases were removed from the system in order to be administered clerically in each such year.
	The table below shows the number of cases added to the CS2 computer system each quarter; the number of cases input onto the Agency Clerical Case Database each quarter and the overall live and assessed caseload each quarter.
	
		
			  Quarter ending  Cases entered onto CS2 computer system  Cases entered onto clerical case database  Overall agency live and assessed caseload 
			 December 2007 45,900 600 1,226,400 
			 March 2008 48,100 4,700 1,237,100 
			 June 2008 42,400 3,400 1,263,600 
			 September 2008 28,000 5,100 1,265,200 
			 December 2008 20,400 7,300 1,263,500 
			 March 2009 24,000 12,500 1,245,000 
			 June 2009 24,200 7,500 1,234,400 
			 September 2009 26,400 11,200 1,219,100 
			 December 2009 22,600 9,300 1,213,100 
			 March 2010 27,500 5,800 1,150,800 
			 June 2010 27,000 5,200 1,150,800 
			 September 2010 28,500 4,400 1,153,900 
			  Notes: 1. The number of cases added to the CS2 computer system differs from the new application intake figures that are published in the Quarterly Summary of Statistics. The new application intake figures include applications that may not have resulted in them becoming live cases entered on the CS2 computer system. 2. Cases entered onto the Clerical Case Database include cases that were initially entered onto the CS2 computer system as well as those entered directly onto the Clerical Case Database. 
		
	
	Many cases that are progressed off system and entered onto the Agency's Clerical Case Database are initially added to the CS2 computer system. In most cases where the case goes clerical we do not remove the case from CS2 and we do not track removals from CS2 as a result of going clerical. Some cases go straight onto the clerical case database directly either because they are linked to other clerical cases or because they encounter technical issues before they are fully created on the CS2 computer system.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many open cases there were with the Child Support Agency in each of the last three years; and how many such open cases were being administered  (a) through the agency's IT system and  (b) manually.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many open cases there were with the Child Support Agency in each of the last three years; and how many such open cases were being administered (a) through the Agency's IT system and (b) clerically.
	The table below shows the volume of live and assessed cases administered by the Child Support Agency each quarter and of those cases, those administered on the Agency's main IT systems as well as those administered off system and recorded on its Clerical Case Database.
	Many of the cases administered off system have historic debt on the Agency's main IT systems. These cases are included only under "administered clerically" in this table.
	
		
			  Quarter ending  Overall agency live and assessed case load  Administered on agency Legacy IT systems  Administered clerically 
			 June 2008 1,263,600 1,227,900 35,700 
			 September 2008 1,265,200 1,225,300 39,900 
			 December 2008 1,263,500 1,219,000 44,500 
			 March 2009 1,245,000 1,194,100 50,900 
			 June 2009 1,234,400 1,177,500 56,900 
			 September 2009 1,219,100 1,155,000 64,100 
			 December 2009 1,213,100 1,141,200 71,900 
			 March 2010 1,150,800 1,071,800 78,900 
			 June 2010 1,150,800 1,066,100 84,700 
			 September 2010 1,153,900 1,065,100 88,900 
			  Notes: 1. A split between cases administered on IT systems and those administered clerically can only be accurately reflected after March 2008. 2. The figures above showing the number of cases administered off system (clerically) differs from a total clerical case load data figure published in the QSS. The total clerical caseload figure in the QSS includes live and suspended cases. Not all of these form part of the agency live and assessed caseload figure which is also published in the QSS. 
		
	
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the findings were for Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's monitoring and evaluation of the use of deduction orders within child maintenance; what conclusions the Commission has reached regarding extension of the use of deduction orders to cover a non-resident parent's joint bank account; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the findings were for Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's monitoring and evaluation of the use of deduction orders within child maintenance; what conclusions the Commission has reached regarding extension of the use of deduction orders to cover a non-resident parent's joint bank account; and if he will make a statement.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's monitoring and evaluation of the use of deduction orders, as a means of collecting child maintenance payments, has been completed. The final draft of the report has been reviewed and it is expected that the results will be published shortly.

Children: Maintenance

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what proportion of child maintenance cases with an assessment and payment scheme was  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) less than 100 per cent. but more than 50 per cent.,  (c) some but less than 50 per cent. and  (d) none of the child maintenance due paid in each of the last five years.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what proportion of child maintenance cases with an assessment and payment scheme was (a) 100 per cent., (b) less than 100 per cent, but more than 50 per cent., (c) some but less than 50 per cent, and (d) none of the child maintenance due paid in each of the last five years.
	The table below shows the proportion of cases with a positive liability where parents with care have received maintenance in full, the proportion that have received maintenance in part and the proportion of those that have not received any maintenance in each quarter for the past five years.
	
		
			  Date  Percentage receiving maintenance in full  Percentage receiving maintenance in part  Percentage not receiving maintenance 
			  2005
			 December 45 18 37 
			 
			  2006
			 March 46 18 37 
			 June 46 18 36 
			 September 46 18 36 
			 December 46 19 36 
			 
			  2007
			 March 46 18 35 
			 June 46 18 35 
			 September 49 16 35 
			 December 48 17 35 
			 
			  2008
			 March 49 18 33 
			 June 50 18 32 
			 September 51 18 31 
			 December 50 18 33 
			 
			  2009
			 March 51 20 29 
			 June 53 20 28 
			 September 53 20 27 
			 December 53 22 26 
			 
			  2010
			 March 59 18 23 
			 June 57 20 23 
			 September 57 19 24 
			  Notes: 1. Cases are counted as having a positive maintenance outcome if they have received a payment via the collection service in the quarter or have a maintenance direct agreement in place. 2. Cases receiving maintenance in full includes cases which are fully compliant over the quarter, maintenance direct at the end of the quarter or where no maintenance has been requested in the quarter yet some maintenance was received. 3. Cases receiving maintenance in part includes those cases that have paid less than the requested amount each quarter. This will include cases that have paid in full but because of timing issues at the end of a quarter, the maintenance receipt has not been fully processed by quarter end. 4. Cases not receiving maintenance include cases with a maintenance liability that have not received any maintenance in the quarter. 5. Figures after March 2008 include the performance of cases administered off system. 
		
	
	I regret that with currently available information it is not possible to answer accurately what proportion of cases paying something but not 100%,paid more or less than 50% of the child maintenance due. For this reason, information has not been provided. Work is currently underway to develop new performance measures that will allow us to answer this in the future.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Information Officers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Department for Work and Pensions communications directorate 
			   Number 
			 Press officers (including regional press) 28 
			 Internal communications officers 33 
			 External communications officers 88 
			 Other positions with a communications remit 42 
		
	
	External communications and communications strategy officers are one and the same role in the DWP communications directorate.
	Figures reflect only the number of officers in employment and are not indicative of the full-time equivalent figures (FTE). They also include those that are currently on leave (maternity, special, adoption etc.)
	
		
			  Businesses 
			   Number 
			  Pension, Disability and Carers Service  
			 Internal Communications Officers 19 
			   
			  Jobcentre Plus  
			 Internal Communications Officers 6 
		
	
	 Non-departmental public bodies
	Pensions Ombudsman/Pensions Protection Fund ombudsman: Nil response
	The Pension Advisory Service: Nil response
	Social Security Advisory Council: Nil response
	
		
			   Number 
			  Pension Protection Fund  
			 Press officers 2 
			 Internal communications officers 2 
			 External communications officers 2 
			   
			  The Pensions Regulator  
			 Press officers 4 
			 Internal communications officers 2 
			 External communications officers 14 
			 Communications strategy officers 2 
			   
			  Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission  
			 Press officers 4 
			 Internal communications officers 10 
			 External communications officers 1 
			   
			  Remploy Ltd.  
			 Press officers 2 
			 Internal communications officers 2 
			 External communications officers 4 
			 Communications strategy officers 2 
			   
			  National Employment Savings Trust  
			 Press officers 1 
			 Internal communications officers 2 
			 External communications officers 6 
			 Communications strategy officers 3 
			 Other positions with a communications remit 16 
			   
			  Health and Safety Executive  
			 Press officers 8 
			 Internal communications officers 9 
			 External communications officers 5 
			 Communications strategy officers 7 
			 Other positions with a communications remit 4 
			   
			  Independent Living Fund  
			 Communications strategy officers 1 
			 Other positions with a communications remit 2

Departmental Manpower

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff of his Department are employed on fixed-term contracts; and what the job title of each is.

Chris Grayling: The number of staff employed on a fixed term contract at 31 December 2010 is shown in the following table. For comparison purposes the figures represent both headcount and full-time equivalent staff. The Department does not hold details of job titles centrally. Departmental grades have been provided instead.
	
		
			  Grade  Headcount  Full-time equivalent 
			 Band A/Administrative Assistant 188 168.33 
			 Band B/Administrative Officer 5,865 5,617.91 
			 Band C/Executive Officer 3,253 3,186.71 
			 Band D/Higher Executive Officer 36 35.43 
			 Band E/Senior Executive Officer 9 9 
			 Band F/Grade 7 11 10.69 
			 Band G/Grade 6 4 4 
			 Senior Civil Service 1 3 2.6 
			 Grand Total 9,369 9,034.67 
		
	
	The Department's total staffing figure for the same period is 112,135 headcount which equates to 100,735 full-time equivalent staff.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: We believe that there are 530 sub-contracted staff servicing the Department in London who are paid at a rate below the London living wage. These comprise of 400 cleaners; 30 caterers and 100 providing general office services.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on hospitality since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: All expenditure on hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Expenditure on hospitality to December 2010 is less than £3,000.
	The Department is reviewing all expenditure with a view to driving out efficiencies and delivering value for money for the taxpayer.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on taxis since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: Expenditure on taxis since May 2010, has been reduced by 26% against the comparable period last year, as follows:
	
		
			  Period  Expenditure (£) 
			 May 2010 to December 2010 1,049,074 
			 May 2009 to December 2010 1,415,747 
			   
			 Percentage reduction 26 
		
	
	It should be noted that this expenditure includes, expenditure to allow access to work for staff with disabilities, to enable the DWP to meet its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act.
	The total expenditure set out above needs to be seen in the context of a Department with over 100,000 staff based in over 900 locations throughout Great Britain.
	The Department is reviewing all expenditure with a view to driving out inefficiencies and delivering value for money for the taxpayer.

Disability Living Allowance

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) in each age group,  (b) of each sex,  (c) with each disability and  (d) in total receive an automatic entitlement to disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: The total number of people receiving DLA as a result of a specific condition under which they are deemed to satisfy conditions of entitlement is 55,660.
	This figure is broken down by condition, gender and age group as requested, in the tables.
	The definitions of each condition are included within the following regulations; which can be found in the House Library:
	For terminally ill, the rules are primarily contained in section 72(5) for care component; and section 73(12) for mobility component of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992. There are minor provisions relating to the terminally ill in regulations 2(4), 10(6) and 12B(9A)of the Disability Living Allowance Regulations 1991.
	For Severely Mentally Impaired, double amputee, deaf blind and haemodialysis, the primary powers are 73(3), 73(1), 73(2) and 72(7) respectively of the Contribution and Benefits Act 1992.
	The conditions are defined in the Disability Living Allowance Regulations 1991 as follows:
	Severely mentally impaired-Regulation 12(5)&(6)
	Double amputee-Regulation 12(1 )(b)
	Deaf/Blind-Regulation 12(2)&(3)
	Haemodialysis-Regulation 7
	
		
			  Total disability living allowance recipients by primary disabling condition( 1)  and age, May 2010 Great Britain 
			  Automatic entitlement condition  All  Not known  Under 16  16-17  18-24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65-74  75-84  85-89  90+ 
			 Terminally Ill 36,720 - 480 50 310 830 3,160 8,110 16,510 6,070 1,120 70 10 
			 Severely Mentally Impaired 16,800 - 5,510 1,200 3,750 2,190 1,610 1,400 810 270 60 - - 
			 Double Amputee 1,040 - 50 - 50 90 140 180 250 220 60 - - 
			 Deaf/Blind 570 - 20 10 20 60 70 130 110 100 50 - - 
			 Haemodialysis 530 - 10 - 10 40 80 140 130 80 30 - - 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability living allowance recipients by primary disabling condition( 1)  and age, May 2010 Great Britain. males 
			  Automatic entitlement condition  All  Not known  Under 16  16-17  18-24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65-74  75-84  85-89  90+ 
			 Terminally Ill 18,220 - 250 30 170 380 1,270 3,620 8,540 3,350 590 30 10 
			 Severely Mentally Impaired 12,030 - 4,310 920 2,730 1,490 1,040 880 470 150 30 - - 
			 Double Amputee 760 - 30 - 40 60 90 130 190 170 50 - - 
			 Deaf/Blind 290 - 10 - 10 40 30 50 60 60 20 - - 
			 Haemodialysis 300 - 10 - - 20 40 70 90 40 20 - - 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability living allowance recipients by primary disabling condition( 1)  and age, May 2010 Great Britain. females 
			  Automatic entitlement condition  All  Not known  Under 16  16-17  18-24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65-74  75-84  85-89  90+ 
			 Terminally Ill 18,490 - 230 20 140 460 1,890 4,480 7,980 2,720 530 40 - 
			 Severely Mentally Impaired 4,780 - 1,210 280 1,020 700 570 520 340 120 30 - - 
			 Double Amputee 290 - 20 - 20 30 50 50 60 50 20 - - 
			 Deaf/Blind 280 - 10 10 10 20 40 70 50 30 30 - - 
			 Haemodialysis 230 - - - 10 20 40 60 40 40 10 - - 
			 (1) In published breakdowns by disabling condition, normal practice is to reallocate terminally ill cases to their underlying medical condition (usually malignant disease). As this question specifically asks about automatic entitlement of which terminal illness makes up the largest group, this reallocation has not been done in this case.  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. A primary disabling condition of terminally ill, severely mentally impaired, double amputee, deaf/blind or haemodialysis qualifies an individual for automatic entitlement to disability living allowance.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 100% WPLS

Disability Living Allowance

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) in each age group,  (b) of each sex,  (c) with each disability and  (d) in total in receipt of disability living allowance state on their application that they had had the illness or disability for between three and six months.

Maria Miller: The information requested is not recorded by the Pensions Disability and Carers Service and is therefore not available.
	Customers are asked on the disability living allowance claim form when their help with getting around outdoors or personal care needs first started. This is because there is no entitlement to the mobility or care components respectively, unless a period of three months has elapsed during which the conditions of entitlement to one or both of these components is satisfied. This qualifying period is in place to ensure the benefit is received by people with longer term disabilities and not those incapacitated for a short time.
	Information on whether a claimant has an illness or disability for between three and six months is not relevant for the purposes of the current assessment and so is not recorded.

Disability Living Allowance: Mobility

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in receipt of disability living allowance who use aids and adaptations to improve their mobility.

Maria Miller: Information about aids and adaptations is requested on the disability living allowance claim form, however this information may relate to either the care or mobility component or both components.
	This information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment and Support Allowance

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average frequency with which an approved healthcare professional's advice to a decision maker determining eligibility for employment and support allowance differs from that of the customer's doctor in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information is not held. The approved health care professional provides advice to the decision maker in relation to the eligibility criteria for ESA. The customer's doctor provides medical evidence, usually in the form of a statement of fitness to work, but this does not relate to the eligibility criteria for ESA. It is therefore not possible to make any comparison between advice from the health care professional and medical evidence from the customer's doctor.

Health and Safety: Heating

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints the Health and Safety Executive received from employees about heat in the workplace in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authority housing benefit staff he expects to transfer into his Department under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 rules; and when he expects such transfers to take place.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit. We have not yet finalised the detail and therefore the impact on organisations currently delivering benefits that universal credit will replace. In respect of housing, we are working closely with local authorities and the housing sector as our plans develop.

Incapacity Benefit

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the relationship between the incidence of emergency hospital admissions and the number of  (a) incapacity benefit claimants and  (b) unemployed people in an area.

Maria Miller: The Department has not assessed the relationship between the incidence of emergency hospital admissions and the number of incapacity benefits claimants nor unemployed people. We also have no plans to do so.

Industrial Health and Safety

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the causes were of fatal accidents in the workplace in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: Notifications of workplace fatal injuries occurring in Great Britain are made under RIDDOR-the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. The following table provides a breakdown of fatal injuries to workers and members of the public, by the kind of accident recorded for the incident. The data cover the period 2005-06 to 2009-10.
	
		
			  Fatal injuries to workers and members of the public, 2005-06 to 2009-10( 1) 
			  Kind of accident  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10( 1) 
			  Workers  
			 Contact with moving machinery 21 13 17 20 12 
			 Struck by moving, including flying/falling, object 34 41 37 27 25 
			 Struck by moving vehicle 38 30 38 25 22 
			 Strike against something fixed or stationary 6 8 10 8 5 
			 Injured while handling, lifting or carrying 1 7 2 1 1 
			 Slips, trips or falls on same level 6 4 3 5 5 
			 Falls from a height, of which: 48 52 55 39 38 
			 -up to and including 2 metres 10 9 8 3 5 
			 -over 2 metres 26 37 43 29 25 
			 -height not stated 12 6 4 7 8 
			 Trapped by something collapsing/overturning 11 19 17 20 15 
			 Drowning or asphyxiation 3 16 7 4 2 
			 Exposure to, or contact with, a harmful substance 7 5 1 2 2 
			 Exposure to fire 4 1 8 - - 
			 Exposure to an explosion 4 5 3 3 1 
			 Contact with electricity or an electrical discharge 11 18 10 7 3 
			 Injured by an animal 2 11 4 1 4 
			 Acts of violence 1 3 7 4 1 
			 Other kind of accident 12 4 11 7 10 
			 Injuries where cause not notified 8 10 3 6 6 
			 Total 217 247 233 179 152 
			   
			  Members of the public  
			 Contact with moving machinery - 1 - - 2 
			 Struck by moving, including flying/falling, object 2 8 4 8 4 
			 Struck by moving vehicle 8 12 7 4 5 
			 Strike against something fixed or stationary 3 - 1 5 5 
			 Injured while handling, lifting or carrying - - 1 - - 
			 Slips, trips or falls on same level 17 7 12 8 9 
			 Falls from a height, of which: 38 46 22 40 23 
			 -up to and including 2 metres 9 11 8 9 7 
			 -over 2 metres 11 11 2 9 9 
			 -height not stated 18 24 12 22 7 
			 Trapped by something collapsing/overturning - 1 1 - - 
			 Drowning or asphyxiation 7 14 9 18 12 
			 Exposure to, or contact with, a harmful substance 3 3 7 3 2 
			 Exposure to fire - 3 - 5 3 
			 Exposure to an explosion - - 1 - - 
			 Contact with electricity or an electrical discharge 5 11 5 8 6 
			 Injured by an animal 4 3 - 4 3 
			 Acts of violence (2)- (2)- (2)- (2)- (2)- 
			 Other kind of accident 312 303 297 321 318 
			 Injuries where cause not notified 2 3 4 2 1 
			 Total 401 415 371 426 393 
			 (1) Provisional. (2) Physical injuries resulting from acts of violence suffered by people at work are reportable under RIDDOR, but physical injuries resulting from acts of violence suffered by members of the public are not.  Note: Further background is detailed in the 'Special Points' section.

Minimum Wage

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on the self-employed of assuming income at the national minimum wage for the purposes of assessing entitlement to universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The self-employed, like other employees, will benefit from improved incentives in universal credit to increase their working hours and earnings. At the same time, once established in work, we would expect them to see a reasonable income from their activity and become less reliant on benefits.
	The impact of a minimum floor of assumed income in universal credit will depend on the manner and circumstances in which it is applied. We are still exploring these issues and are therefore unable to provide an assessment of its likely effects at this stage.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bridgend of 30 November 2010,  Official Report, column 795W, on mortgages: government assistance, what representations his Department has received from mortgage lenders on their ability to  (a) freeze the mortgage accounts of claimants of support for mortgage interest and  (b) apply a standard interest rate for a fixed period; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We have spoken to the Council of Mortgage Lenders and also lenders themselves. The Council recently wrote to Ministers with their views. We will consider this, along with other representations, as we continue to look at a number of options for reform of support for homeowners.

Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average additional basic state pension entitlement is for a  (a) woman and  (b) man retiring in 2011.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Average amount of weekly state second pension/state earnings related pension scheme for new claimants at state pension age 
			  £ cash terms 
			   March 2011 
			 Male 30 
			 Female 19 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1. 2. Award relates to the average weekly amount of state second pension/state earnings related pension scheme in payment to someone claiming at state pension age in a particular year, and exclude those above state pension age receiving a deferred claim. 3. Figures do not include graduated retirement benefit.

Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average forecast basic state pension entitlement is for a  (a) woman and  (b) man retiring in 2018.

Steve Webb: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: Average amount of weekly Basic State Pension for new claimants at State Pension age (£, cash terms) as at March 2018 
			   £ 
			 Male 122 
			 Female 109 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1. 2. Award relates to the average weekly amount of Basic State Pension in payment to someone claiming Basic State Pension at State Pension age in a particular year. They exclude those above State Pension age receiving a deferred claim. 3. Figures do not include Graduated Retirement Benefit. 4. Figures include claimants living overseas.

Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average forecast basic state pension entitlement is for a  (a) woman and  (b) man retiring in 2016;
	(2)  what the average forecast basic state pension entitlement is for a  (a) woman and  (b) man retiring in 2011.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Average amount of weekly basic state pension for new claimants at state pension age 
			  £ cash terms 
			   March 2011  March 2016 
			 Male 93 111 
			 Female 84 101 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1. 2. Award relates to the average weekly amount of basic state pension in payment to someone claiming basic state pension at state pension age in a particular year. They exclude those above state pension age receiving a deferred claim. 3. Figures do not include graduated retirement benefit.

Redundancy: Asbestos

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding previously allocated to the Health and Safety Executive's Hidden Killer campaign has been reallocated to fund redundancies.

Chris Grayling: I can confirm that no funds have reallocated from HSE's Communications budget to fund redundancies. HSE is currently assessing progress on the Hidden Killer campaign to date, with materials and information still available online. Tackling asbestos-related disease remains a priority for HSE in our communications activity and enforcement work.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the  (a) reduction in the number of (i) claimants and (ii) benefit spending,  (b) additional administrative cost and  (c) overall change in the level of revenue to the Exchequer of completing a new work capability assessment in respect of employment and support allowance every (A) year and (B) two years.

Chris Grayling: A key factor in determining eligibility for employment and support allowance is the work capability assessment (WCA). The WCAs are carried out by health care professionals employed by Atos Healthcare. Claimants attend regular WCAs, based on the prognosis given by the health care professional at their original, or last assessment-at intervals which vary from a minimum of 3 months and maximum of two years, dependant on the nature of the individual's condition. This ensures that people are in the correct group and receiving the right support as their capabilities change.
	The information requested is not available and could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many decisions on benefit appeals by customers in north east Scotland were outstanding  (a) prior to the reassessment trial and  (b) at the end of the trial period.

Chris Grayling: The latest available data show that, as at September 2010, the total number of benefit appeals held for Scotland is 22,631, of which 13,846 relate to employment and support allowance and incapacity benefit. Information on appeals is not available at individual area level.
	Figures for the IB reassessment trial are not available as the trial is still under way. It is too early to provide information on the numbers of customers who have asked to appeal against their decision as not all customers have completed their reassessment journey. Initial information on the trial outcomes and evaluation will be made available to customer representative groups and other stakeholders at the end of the month.

Social Security Benefits: Osteoarthritis

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency successfully claimed benefits for osteoarthritis in each of the last five years.

Maria Miller: The information requested is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (IB/SDA) and employment support allowance (ESA) recipients in Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency with a diagnosis of 'Other Arthritis' at the dates shown 
			   As at May each year 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 IB/SDA 140 140 130 120 100 
			 ESA n/a n/a n/a n/a 10 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10(th) Revision, published by the World Health Organisation. 3. 'Osteoarthritis' diagnosis is included within the category of 'Other Arthritis'. 4. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008. 5. ESA figures by diagnosis are only available from February 2010. 6. Prior to May 2010 the Westminster parliamentary constituencies for 2005 have been used.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% WPLS 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability living allowance (DLA) recipients in Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency with a diagnosis of 'Arthritis' at the dates shown 
			   As at May each year 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 DLA 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 
			  Notes: 1. DLA figures are from 5% sample data uprated to 100% proportions. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provides some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. These figures have been scaled up to the overall total, by the application of a single rating factor therefore subtotals based on uprated 5% data may differ from 100% data because of sampling variation in the 5% sample. 3. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. 'Osteoarthritis' diagnosis is included within the category of 'Arthritis'. 5. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. 6. Prior to May 2010 the Westminster parliamentary constituencies for 2005 have been used.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Telephone Services

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the average length of a call, including the time spent on hold, to his Department's 0800 2888 777 number for contacting ATOS in relation to work capability assessments.

Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare has confirmed that the current average call length including hold is two minutes 49 seconds. The timing is within agreed contract standard but work is ongoing to help Atos improve upon this.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average amount paid to approved healthcare professionals for carrying out the medical services element of the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: Information relating to the payments paid to approved health care professionals for delivery of the medical services element of the work capability assessment is commercially sensitive and release of the information would prejudice the interests of Atos Healthcare and the Department's future dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's document ESA214 - The Work Capability Assessment, page 17, what estimate he has made of the average time which elapses between a customer's initial work capability assessment and a further assessment; and how many customers have been required to undergo more than one work capability assessment since its introduction.

Chris Grayling: Employment and support allowance (ESA) was introduced in October 2008. A key factor in determining eligibility for ESA is the work capability assessment (WCA). The WCA is carried out by health care professionals employed by Atos Healthcare.
	Following the initial WCA, those who are placed on ESA are given a provisional date for reassessment via a further WCA. The timing of this is determined by the nature of their health condition(s).
	The average time between the initial WCA and the first repeat WCA is just under 10 months. This is based on data from 66,300 ESA claims, starting between October 2008 and May 2010. These only include people who have had two or more completed WCAs relating to the same ESA claim.
	The above data come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions and functional assessment data sourced from Atos Healthcare. The data have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 6 of ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment, how many healthcare professionals provisionally approved at stage 3 have subsequently been removed from the training process.

Chris Grayling: Seven health care professionals who completed stages one and two of training failed to receive full approval in 2010.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 6 of ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment, by what criteria the satisfactory standard for the purpose of the stage 2 written assessment of medical knowledge is determined.

Chris Grayling: Stage 2 of the ESA approval process is a multiple choice examination. The pass mark is 85%.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 6 of ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment, what criteria are used to determine whether an approved healthcare professional continues to satisfy the required quality standards.

Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare has an audit programme for all health care professionals developed in conjunction with and monitored by the DWP. This consists of a nationally statistically significant programme of random audit supported by a rolling programme of individual audit and where appropriate, individual targeted audit. In addition, the number of cases that are returned by decision makers for rework are monitored for each individual health care professional.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's document ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment, page 15, what medical training is provided to a decision maker to allow him or her to consider any evidence of a significant change in the customer's medical condition in the light of the ending of the requirement for the customer's doctor to issue any further medical certificates following the completion of a work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question, with reference to his Department's document ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment page 15, what medical training is provided to a decision maker to allow him or her to consider any evidence of a significant change in the customer's medical condition in the light of the ending of the requirement for the customer's doctor to issue any further medical certificates following the completion of a work capability assessment. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Decision makers do not receive formal medical training. The role of a decision maker is to apply the law, on the balance of probabilities, based on the available evidence. Where evidence of a change in the customer's medical condition is received, the decision maker must consider whether this change could lead to a change in the award of ESA. Where the nature of the change means that the effect on the award is not clear, advice can be sought from Health Care Professionals employed by ATOS Healthcare. These Health Care Professionals provide decision makers with expert advice on medical questions. Decision makers are provided with detailed guidance on the nature of the advice that can be provided and when and how to seek such advice.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 6 of ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment, how many approved healthcare professionals were withdrawn from the work capability assessment process for failing to continue to satisfy the required quality standards in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: One healthcare professional had their approval to complete ESA assessments revoked because they failed to continue to satisfy the required quality standards in 2010.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's document ESA214-The Work Capability Assessment, page 5, what estimate he has made of the average length of time an approved healthcare professional spends completing stage 1-The prescribed training course.

Chris Grayling: Stage one of ESA training consists of two elements:
	1. Pre-course reading-the time taken is dependent on the individual healthcare professional
	2. A programme of face to face trainer led training which takes:
	6 days for new entrant doctors
	15 days for new entrant nurses
	20 days for new entrant physiotherapists.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on his Department's review of the work capability assessment published in March 2010 from  (a) the Social Security Advisory Committee,  (b) charities and  (c) other organisations; what the content was of such representations; what plans he has to implement the findings of the review; and what the relationship is between such plans and his plans for implementation of the findings of the Harrington Review.

Chris Grayling: The Department-led Review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) was published on 29 March 2010. It proposed a number of changes to the WCA, including expanding the Support Group for claimants with severe disability due to a mental health condition and making greater provision for individuals awaiting or between courses of chemotherapy.
	Following discussions with the Department, the Social Security Advisory Committee consulted with a wide range of disability organisations on the changes and issued a report on 14 October 2010. The Department has considered the Committee's report and will publish its response shortly.
	We will implement the changes proposed by the Department-led Review in Spring 2011, ensuring that they are in place as we start to re-assess individuals currently in receipt of incapacity benefits.
	The Department-led Review is part of an ongoing process of improvement to the WCA. Taken together with the improvements we are making following Professor Harrington's Independent Review these changes represent important and ongoing progress in creating a fairer and more accurate assessment.

Work Capability Assessment

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will postpone the introduction of the new work capability assessment to enable arrangements to take full account of the recommendations of Professor Malcolm Harrington's review that he has accepted.

Chris Grayling: We believe that the principles of the work capability assessment (WCA) are right, but that the system which we inherited contained some flaws that risked undermining its effectiveness. We have therefore moved swiftly to put those right.
	We welcome the first independent review of the WCA, led by Professor Malcolm Harrington. This is a thorough review that has reviewed a substantial amount of evidence. As a result, Professor Harrington has come forward with a wide range of far reaching and challenging proposals which the Government fully support.
	We are committed to taking forward the review's recommendations so that we can make the system fairer and more effective. The Government response to Professor Harrington's review sets out how and when we will implement the recommendations of the review, almost all of which will be in place in time for the national roll-out of the incapacity benefits reassessment programme.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people whose work capability assessment initially found them fit for work had their assessments overturned upon appeal and were found unfit for work in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: I refer the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire to the written answer I gave her on 3 February 2011,  Official Report, column 902W.

Work Capability Assessment: Atos

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether (a) his Department and  (b) Atos provide any incentives to find claimants fit for work.

Chris Grayling: The medical services agreement between Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions does not include any provisions either from the Department or from Atos Healthcare to incentivise health care professionals to find claimants undergoing the WCA fit for work, and nor would we wish to do so.
	It should be noted, however that all decisions on benefit entitlement are made by DWP decision makers and not by Atos Healthcare professionals. Entitlement is determined by the Department's decision makers and is based on all available evidence, including that provided by the claimant. Decision makers are rightly impartial and also not incentivised to find claimants under going the WCA fit for work.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Immigration Controls

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of persons who have been in the UK in breach of immigration controls for a period exceeding  (a) one year,  (b) two years,  (c) three years,  (d) four years,  (e) five years,  (f) six years,  (g) seven years,  (h) eight years,  (i) nine years and  (j) 10 years.

Damian Green: It is not possible to accurately quantify the number of people currently in the UK in breach of immigration controls, as some deliberately evade immigration control in order to remain in the country illegally.
	Illegal immigration puts huge pressure on the public purse at a time when the country can least afford it. Together with the police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency the UK Border Agency will continue to make life as difficult as possible for those who cheat the immigration system.

Asylum

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants who have entered the UK illegally claimed asylum following detection in each year for which figures are available; how many of those were granted asylum; how many of those were refused permission to remain in the UK and asked to leave the UK; and how many left the UK in each year.

Damian Green: In answering this question we have interpreted illegal immigrants as individuals who have been served papers as immigration offenders, prior to claiming asylum.
	The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   2008  2009  2010 
			 Claimed asylum following detection(1, 2) 16,998 13,356 9,827 
			 Granted(1, 2)(, 3) 4,528 3,117 2,224 
			 Refused(1, 2)(, 4) 9,583 7,612 5,784 
			 Other(1, 2)(, 5) 2,887 2,627 1,819 
			 Total Removed(1, 2) 3,229 2,529 1,536 
			 (1) Data are for individuals served papers as immigration offenders, who subsequently claimed asylum in 2008, 2009, and 2010. (2) Data relates to the main applicants only. (3) Data relates to the number granted asylum (including Humanitarian Protection and Discretionary Leave) at first decision. (4) Data relates to the number refused asylum at first decision. (5) Data relates to Other outcomes (e.g. as yet unconcluded cases, withdrawn by applicant, withdrawn absconder, applicant deceased, applicant left UK, Third Country action accepted.)  Notes: 1. All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. 2. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in domestic premises of each type of tenure there were per 100,000 households in each of the last 15 years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking:
	How many deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in domestic premises of each type of tenure there were per 100,000 households in each of the last 15 years. (38594)
	The table provides the number of deaths where the toxic effect of carbon monoxide was the cause of death by local authority (Table 2), for England and Wales, from 1995 to 2009 (the latest year available). A copy of Table 2 has been placed in the House of Commons library.
	Mortality statistics are produced from information recorded at death registration. Although the place of usual residence of the deceased and the place of death are recorded, tenancy arrangements are not, so it is not possible to provide figures by domestic premises of each type of tenure.

Deportation: Illegal Immigrants

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were removed in  (a) October,  (b) November and  (c) December 2010.

Damian Green: The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	Quarter 4 2010 and annual 2010 figures will be published on 24 February 2011.

Drugs: Bolivia

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2011,  Official Report, column 344W, on Bolivia: drugs, whether the Bolivian Government's amendment to the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs sought to remove the ban on coca leaf chewing rather than to remove coca leaf as an illicit drug.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 7 February 2011
	The Government believe that to remove the ban on coca leaf chewing would legitimise coca production and, therefore, its effect would be to remove coca leaf as an illicit drug.

Electronic Tagging

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Jtrack programme in tracking offenders; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: JTrack is a national web-based IT system to enable all 43 police forces in England and Wales and local partner agencies to monitor, track and review their locally identified prolific and other priority offenders across the Criminal Justice System.
	The system is funded centrally by the Home Office and is managed by the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA). We are also working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to ensure that the system continues to meet local needs particularly in the context of the development of local Integrated Offender Management (IOM) approaches.
	The integrity, confidentiality and availability of JTrack has been fully tested through an accredited IT healthcheck. There has been no national assessment of the effectiveness of the system in tracking offenders as data are managed locally.

Illegal Immigrants

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles screened by port operators or authorities in other EU member states were later found in the UK to have been used to transport illegal immigrants into the UK in each year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: In conjunction with the Port Authority, Calais Chamber of Commerce, (CCC) and our contractors the UK Border Agency checks UK bound vehicles by means of a multi-layered regime, utilising a combination of detection technologies in order to screen 100% of vehicles for the presence of clandestines.
	The Calais Chamber of Commerce supply statistical information to the UK Border Agency on the number of vehicles searched, however all of the information is supplied and owned by them and is commercial in confidence.

Illegal Immigrants

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many freight vehicles were searched by the UK Border Agency for the purpose of detecting persons attempting to enter the UK illegally in each year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: At the Juxtaposed controls of Calais, Coquelles, Dunkirk and Boulogne the UK Border Agency screened in excess of 1.7 million vehicles throughout 2006, over 1.8 million in 2007, in excess of 1.7 million in 2008, and over 1.5 million in both 2009 and 2010.

Illegal Immigrants

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were detected entering the UK at each port in each year for which figures are available; and how each such case was disposed of.

Damian Green: Between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2010, 31,139 clandestine entrants were detected by border force officers at the UK border.
	An annual breakdown is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of clandestine entrants detected at UK Border 
			 2008 13,106 
			 2009 13,129 
			 2010 4,904 
			 Total 31,139 
		
	
	These figures are based on locally collated management information. They are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications. The data are provisional and subject to change. We have not included inland detections of clandestine entrants because these entrants have by definition evaded the UK border control, nor detections made by overseas authorities at the juxtaposed controls in France and Belgium.
	To provide the outcomes or conclusions of individual cases would mean examining individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Immigrants

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were detected in each  (a) local authority area,  (b) county and  (c) region in each year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The records kept by the UK Border Agency regarding the arrest of illegal immigrants breaks down the figures by region. The data, for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (up to December), are in the following table.
	It is not possible to disaggregate these figures by local authority and county without incurring a disproportionate cost, as to determine this would require the manual examination of each record, to ensure their accuracy.
	The figures provided are sourced from management information tools; they are not quality assured under National Statistics protocols and are subject to change.
	
		
			  Region  April 2009 to March 2010  April 2010 to December 2010  Total 
			 London and South East 3,287 2,541 5,828 
			 Midlands and East 1,411 950 2,361 
			 North East, Yorkshire and Humber 985 655 1,640 
			 North West 579 589 1,168 
			 Scotland and Northern Ireland 456 477 933 
			 Wales and South West 789 528 1,317 
			 Total 7,507 5,741 13,248

Illegal Immigrants

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the number of people who are in the UK beyond the limit of their visa entitlement.

Damian Green: It is not possible to accurately quantify the number of overstayers in the UK as some deliberately evade immigration control in order to remain in the country illegally.

Illegal Immigrants: Asylum

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of processing a case involving  (a) an illegal immigrant and  (b) an asylum seeker whose application for asylum is refused was in each year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has not previously collected these data, but since I became Minister for Immigration, I have asked the agency to show a greater focus on productivity and these, or similar, data will be more readily available in the future.

Illegal Immigrants: Asylum

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) illegal immigrants and  (b) asylum seekers whose application for asylum was refused have been allowed to remain in the UK by (i) ministerial or other administrative decision, (ii) as a consequence of an appeal to a tribunal and (iii) as a result of an appeal through the courts made predominantly, entirely or partly on human rights grounds.

Damian Green: We have interpreted illegal immigrants to mean individuals who have been served papers as immigration offenders, and refused asylum seekers to mean failed asylum seekers. Refused individuals who have been granted leave to remain by the Government, has been interpreted as individuals granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave.
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2008  2009  2010 
			 Immigration offenders served papers(1, 3) 37,296 34,738 20,934 
			 Granted HP/DL(1, 3, 4) 2,156 1,754 705 
			 Appeal allowed(1, 3, 5) 268 226 106 
			 HR appeal allowed(1, 3, 6) 164 166 93 
			 
			 Failed asylum seekers(2 ,3) 15,737 15,941 11,116 
			 Granted HP/DL(2, 3, 4) 2,307 2,151 1,032 
			 Appeal allowed(2, 3, 5) 2,825 3,616 1,719 
			 HR appeal allowed(2, 3, 6) 2,410 3,116 1,547 
			 (1) Data are for individuals served papers as immigration offenders, in 2008, 2009, and 2010. (2) Data are for individuals refused asylum based on initial decision, in 2008, 2009, and 2010. (3) Data relate to main applicants only. (4) Data relate to individuals refused, but allowed permission to remain in the UK by the Government on the grounds of humanitarian protection (HP) and discretionary leave (DL) at initial decision. HP and DL replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003. (5) Data relate to individuals who were granted leave following a successful appeal. (6) Data relate to individuals who were granted leave following a successful appeal on human rights grounds. This is a subset of appeal allowed data.  Note: All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Immigration Controls

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the operation of border controls  (a) in the UK and  (b) elsewhere in each of the last 30 years.

Damian Green: Detailed financial records are only held for the last six years. The following information reflects the costs of the UK border agency border force and its antecedents.
	
		
			  Border  for ce resource cost 
			  £ million 
			   Total  UK  Europe 
			 2009-10 466.069 398.059 68.010 
			 2008-09 229.765 173.104 56.661 
			 2007-08 216.514 163.414 53.100 
			 2006-07 189.953 143.963 45.990 
			 2005-06 175.697 - - 
			 2004-05 150.482 - -

Immigration: Appeals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the length of time was of the 20 longest-running immigration appeals cases concerning a single individual.

Damian Green: The Home Department does not record statistics on the individual time scales of all appeals.
	The longest-running immigration appeals cases are cases that proceed through the court system to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. There are no time limits for cases to be heard or judgments to be handed down at these courts. The length of time an appeal takes may be extended further should it be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. For the first two quarters of 2010-11 70,300 immigration appeals were received by the Tribunal Service and during the same period 73 appeals proceeded to the Court of Appeal, while four were determined at the Supreme Court.

Offences against Children: Care Homes

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of cases involving the sexual grooming of girls from children's homes; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: No specific assessment has yet been carried out of cases of this kind. However, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre have recently begun to conduct a thematic assessment of the nature and scale of child sexual exploitation in the UK as a whole. The results of the study will be published in due course.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Information Officers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Leader of the House how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The Deputy Leader and I share one assigned press officer, who is employed by Cabinet Office Communications Group and will be included in the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Alternative Vote: Referendums

Philip Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings he has had with members of the campaign team supporting a Yes vote in the proposed referendum on the alternative vote; and how many such meetings have taken place in premises owned by Government departments.

Nicholas Clegg: For reasons of diary management and logistics I have had two meetings on official premises with representatives of the campaign team supporting a Yes vote in the proposed referendum on the Alternative Vote.

EDUCATION

Children: Asthma

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on  (a) the number of children reported to have experienced an asthma attack at school in the last 12 months and  (b) the number of such children who were hospitalised in consequence.

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
	The hospital episode statistics show that there were 24,217 admissions to hospital of patients aged 0-14 suffering from asthma in the year ending March 2010. We do not know how many of these resulted from asthma attacks in schools, as we do not collect school-based information.

Children: Autism

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of levels of understanding of the requirements of young people with autism among the children's workforce.

Sarah Teather: We are committed to giving every child, and young person, the best possible start in life and recognise the importance of high quality teaching particularly for those with special educational needs (SEN). This is vital if they are to achieve their potential. We know that currently there are over 56,000 schoolchildren with an autistic spectrum disorder. I believe that local authorities are best placed to assess the skills and expertise of those who teach pupils with SEN and to develop their own plans to improve the quality of provision, working with schools and parents to ensure that the necessary expertise is in place in their area. We expect all local authorities to provide support for children with special educational needs and we will work with them to ensure that there is sufficient high-quality provision.
	To support the understanding of the work force in relation to SEN we have published resources for use in initial teacher training and Continuing Professional Development through the Inclusion Development Programme. A specific resource focusing on supporting pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder is included.
	In addition the Children's Workforce Development Council has been remitted to support those who work with disabled children and young people in mainstream and specialist settings. This includes determining what specialist skills, knowledge and behaviours are needed by people working with disabled children and young people.
	We will be publishing a Green Paper which will consider how we can improve support for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with autism.

Children's Centres

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the criteria for, and monitoring of, private and voluntary sector providers of children's centres.

Sarah Teather: The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities on the criteria for, and monitoring of, private and voluntary sector providers of children's centres yet. One of the actions in the Departmental Easiness Plan, published in November 2010, is to work with local authorities to develop a plan to increase voluntary and community sector involvement with children's centres. We will be working with local authorities and other early years partners to co-produce this plan with them.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what meetings, visits or other engagements relating to her Ministerial duties the Minister of State for Children and Families has attended since her appointment; what the date and time was of each such engagement; and who attended each such engagement.

Sarah Teather: I have had many meetings with individuals and organisations and have attended many official engagements relating to Government business as Minister of State for Children and Families. To provide the detailed information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many meetings, visits or other engagements relating to the Ministerial duties of the Minister of State for Children and Families have been cancelled since May 2010; with whom each such engagement was to be held; what the date was of each such engagement; and  (a) when and  (b) for what reasons each such engagement was cancelled.

Sarah Teather: Conflicting diary pressures and urgent parliamentary business often makes it necessary to cancel meetings, visits or official engagements at very short notice but endeavour to keep this to a minimum. The reasons for such cancellations are not recorded by the Department.

Education Maintenance Allowace: Wallasey

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the likely effect on students from poorer backgrounds in Wallasey constituency of the withdrawal of education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: We are committed to making sure that young people from low income households can continue in education and training post-16. We are considering the replacement for the education maintenance allowance and want to ensure that the funds we have are targeted on those young people who most need support to enable them to participate in education.

Education: Finance

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) further education colleges,  (b) sixth form colleges and  (c) school sixth forms will receive (i) an increase or (ii) a decrease in overall funding per 16-19 year old as a result of implementation of the funding settlement issued by the Young People's Learning Agency on 20 December 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 January 2011
	The 16-19 funding statement, published by the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) on 20 December 2010, set out the Government's plans for 16-19 education and training for 2011/12. It set out the funding policy changes to be implemented in 2011/12 and stated there would be a system of transitional protection to smooth the implementation of changes year on year. For 2011/12 this will mean no provider facing a reduction in funding per student of more than 3%. The precise reduction or increase each provider will face will depend on its individual circumstances and the YPLA is currently working through those calculations. Allocations to all schools and colleges for the 2011/12 academic year will be made by the end of March 2011.

Free School Meals: Kingswood

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in each ward in Kingswood constituency are eligible for free school meals.

Nick Gibb: The number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the following table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery( 1) , maintained primary( 2) , state-funded secondary( 2, 3)  and special schools( 4) : School meal arrangements( 5)  As at January 2010 by each ward within Kingswood parliamentary constituency 
			   Nursery( 1)  and primary( 2)  State-funded secondary( 2, 3)  Special( 4) 
			   Number on roll( 5,6)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5,6)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals  Number on roll( 5,6)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5,6)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals  Number on roll( 5,6)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 Bitton 363 55 15.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Emersons Green 957 57 6.0 1,177 83 7.1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hanham 820 59 7.2 892 68 7.6 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Kings Chase 586 94 16.0 884 114 12.9 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Longwell Green 691 25 3.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Oldland Common 722 91 12.6 1,069 105 9.8 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Parkwall 389 70 18.0 861 93 10.8 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Rodway 965 165 17.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Siston n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 99 13 13.1 
			 Woodstock 1,277 190 14.9 802 55 6.9 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Kingswood (all wards) 6,770 806 11.9 5,685 518 9.1 99 13 13.1 
			 n/a = Not applicable. No schools of this type. (1) There are no maintained nursery schools in Kingswood parliamentary constituency. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (6) Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 0 to 15, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged five to 15.  Source: School Census

Further Education: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that identical courses provided by colleges and a school sixth forms receive the same level of funding per student; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the like-for-like funding difference between schools and colleges in each of the last three years; and what methodology his Department uses to calculate this figure.

Nick Gibb: The White Paper "The Importance of Teaching", published in November 2010, set out the Government's commitment to end the disparity in funding for 16-19 year olds so that by 2015 schools and colleges are funded at the same level as one another. We want to achieve this in a carefully managed way over time so as not to destabilise providers. To ensure this is the case we are limiting the reduction in the average funding per student in 2011/12 to a maximum of 3% per student. The transitional protection will be removed over the spending review period.
	In 2008 KPMG independently assessed the funding gap between school sixth forms and other providers at 5.6%. Since 2008 the gap has remained the same following the introduction of a consistent funding methodology between all types of providers. The methodology used by KPMG was to cost identical programmes for each provider type and then to assess the difference. The conclusion was that the gap was due to a 3% difference in funding rates and 2.6% paid to schools for teachers' pension payments. KPMG also stated that the Teachers' Pay Grant (TPG) was now a clearly identifiable grant for schools with sixth forms that was not available to FE and other providers. Including the TPG in the calculation widened the gap to 9.6%. Other factors such as differences in treatment for VAT were not considered to form part of the funding gap.

GCSE: Science

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to increase access to and take up of triple science GCSEs in deprived areas.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 7 February 2011
	The recent Schools White Paper confirms that we will support schools to offer triple science. We shall shortly announce details of how this support will be focused on increasing take up in the most deprived areas.
	We have already taken steps to increase access, such as encouraging schools to offer triple science by including it in the English Baccalaureate. We are also taking steps to increase the number and quality of science teachers.

Higher Education: Arts

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he received from representatives of the crafts sector prior to reaching his decision to reduce higher education funding for the tuition of arts and humanities.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
	In developing our proposals for reform of higher education funding we have received a number of representations from individuals and institutions, including in the craft sector. The reforms will shift the balance of public funds for teaching from direct grant to institutions to funding that follows the informed choices made by individual students. This will provide strong incentives for institutions to focus on providing high quality teaching as efficiently as possible. However, we do not expect the overall income of the sector to reduce. Putting together the remaining funding for recurrent grant for teaching and research and the Government's loans outlay to institutions on the upfront costs of graduate contributions, the aggregate effect could be that the total investment by this Department in institutions in England would rise in cash terms from around £9 billion in 2010-11 to around £10 billion in 2014-15 while broadly maintaining existing levels of participation.

Schools: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in  (a) West Ham constituency,  (b) the London borough of Newham and  (c) London have had a reduction in the level of funding provided for extended out-of-hours provision in 2010-11.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not collect data on the level of funding devolved by local authorities to individual schools for extended out-of-hours provision. How funding is distributed to individual schools is a matter for local determination. Nationally, the revenue funding provided to local authorities through the 2010-11 Standards Fund grant for the sustainability and disadvantage elements of extended services has not been reduced. From April 2011 onwards, funding for extended services currently provided to local authorities and schools through the Standards Fund will form part of the baseline for the Dedicated Schools Grant. Schools, including academies and free schools, will have freedom and flexibility to spend their budgets to support their pupils in the ways they judge best.

Special Educational Needs

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what meetings his Department has had with  (a) deaf children,  (b) parents of deaf children and  (c) organisations representing deaf children on the special educational needs Green Paper since his appointment.

Sarah Teather: The Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities is being informed through a series of discussions with those representing a wide range of interests in this area, including the National Deaf Children's Society and the Special Educational Consortium, whose membership includes organisations representing deaf children. In addition, an open call for views was held, receiving over 1,800 responses, 40% of which were from parents, but also from voluntary organisations, including those representing deaf children.
	The Department will continue to collaborate with a wide range of individuals and groups in developing the Green Paper, and during the consultation period following its publication. This will include engagement with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Special Educational Needs

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish his Green Paper on special educational needs.

Sarah Teather: I am publishing a Green Paper to look at the wide range of issues concerning provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities. To inform this important work, I issued a call for views and have met parents, teachers, local authorities, charities and other groups. The call for views attracted over 1800 responses from a wide range of people and organisations. In order to give those views the most careful consideration I will be publishing the Green Paper in March 2011.

Students: Loans

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to offer student loans to cover the costs of further education fees.

John Hayes: "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" published in November 2010 set out our plans to introduce Government backed further education fee loans from 2013/14. The loans will be available for those aged 24 and over to undertake qualifications at Level 3 and above. The loans will be repaid on an income contingent basis in line with the approach for higher education fee loans which includes a repayment threshold of £21,000 and a write off after 30 years for any outstanding loan balance.
	We are engaging with the representative bodies for colleges, training organisations and other providers to discuss implementation plans for FE fee loans. This includes the establishment of a stakeholder reference group to help identify the particular delivery arrangements appropriate for the FE and Skills sector.

Teachers: Intimidation

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to protect teachers from false allegations made by pupils.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 7 February 2011
	The Education Bill introduces reporting restrictions to prevent the publication of information that would identify teachers when allegations are made by or on behalf of a pupil until they are charged with a criminal offence. We will also revise guidance to highlight the fundamental importance of eradicating unnecessary delays in investigations, clarify that suspending teachers should never be an automatic response and emphasising the support that teachers are entitled to expect when facing such action.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question  (a) 31966 and  (b) 31965, on the activities of the Minister of State for Children and Families, tabled on 15 December 2010.

Sarah Teather: I responded to the hon. Member's questions today.

Young People: Unemployment

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in Richmond Park constituency were not in education, employment or training on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: Estimates of participation in education, training and employment for young people aged 16-18 are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June and can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000938/index.shtml
	This publication also contains additional tables that show the number and proportion of young people who participate in education and work based educational training in each local authority. However, these estimates only cover 16 and 17-year-olds, and do not include information on young people's employment.
	Connexions Services collect information on the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in each local authority area in England. These are published annually on the DFE website and the latest data for the end of 2009 are in the following table.
	This data estimate that at the end of 2009, 170 (3.4%) 16 to 18-year-olds were not in education, employment or training in Kingston-upon-Thames and 120 (3.5%) in Richmond-upon-Thames local authorities. The figures cannot be broken down by parliamentary consistency.
	
		
			  Proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET: 2009( 1, 5) 
			16 to 18-year-olds NEET( 3, 4)  
			   16 to 18-year-olds known to Connexions( 2)  Estimated number  Percentage  Percentage 16 to 18-year-olds whose current activity is not known 
			  South East 251,766 14,600 5.8 5.1 
			 Bracknell Forest 2,840 190 6.8 3.0 
			 Brighton and Hove 7,284 640 8.8 4.0 
			 Buckinghamshire 14,157 650 4.6 1.3 
			 East Sussex 15,117 1,100 7.3 4.5 
			 Hampshire 41,958 2,390 5.7 10.8 
			 Isle of Wight 4,191 290 6.9 18.7 
			 Kent 49,747 2,440 4.9 3.1 
			 Medway 10,605 620 5.8 5.9 
			 Milton Keynes 8,027 470 5.8 2.9 
			 Oxfordshire 17,638 1,150 6.5 3.1 
			 Portsmouth 4,201 470 11.1 10.5 
			 Reading 4,461 290 6.5 2.7 
			 Slough 4,309 260 6.0 3.2 
			 Southampton 6,359 620 9.7 7.5 
			 Surrey 28,061 1,150 4.1 4.4 
			 West Berkshire 4,838 250 5.2 2.6 
			 West Sussex 20,911 1,230 5.9 3.5 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,700 200 5.5 2.5 
			 Wokingham 3,361 210 6.3 2.6 
			  
			  London 204,518 10,840 5.3 4.4 
			 Barking and Dagenham 6,913 550 7.9 6.2 
			 Barnet 10,068 380 3.8 4.9 
			 Bexley 6,520 330 5.0 1.8 
			 Brent 6,889 320 4.6 4.9 
			 Bromley 10,636 450 4.2 3.8 
			 Camden 5,377 300 5.5 3.8 
			 City of London 632 - 0.6 0.5 
			 Croydon 9,838 680 6.9 6.4 
			 Ealing 6,371 310 4.9 3.5 
			 Enfield 8,709 530 6.1 9.2 
			 Greenwich 6,169 410 6.6 4.3 
			 Hackney 4,218 310 7.4 6.3 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,414 190 5.6 4.4 
			 Haringey 4,863 330 6.8 5.0 
			 Harrow 6,152 180 2.9 2.6 
			 Havering 8,853 420 4.7 3.6 
			 Hillingdon 8,434 460 5.4 2.3 
			 Hounslow 6,603 310 4.7 3.6 
			 Islington 5,792 420 7.3 6.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,440 120 5.0 5.0 
			 Kingston 4,871 170 3.4 2.8 
			 Lambeth 4,161 320 7.6 6.0 
			 Lewisham 8,661 420 4.9 3.1 
			 Merton 2,691 150 5.6 4.9 
			 Newham 8,039 540 6.7 5.7 
			 Redbridge 8,834 360 4.1 1.3 
			 Richmond 3,346 120 3.5 2.8 
			 Southwark 3,569 310 8.7 5.0 
			 Sutton 6,481 290 4.4 3.6 
			 Tower Hamlets 5,537 330 6.0 3.6 
			 Waltham Forest 8,113 370 4.5 3.2 
			 Wandsworth 7,006 300 4.3 5.7 
			 Westminster 4,318 200 4.6 7.0 
			  
			  East of England 182,920 10,790 5.9 3.7 
			 Bedford borough 5,714 320 5.6 3.8 
			 Cambridgeshire 17,316 940 5.4 2.9 
			 Central Bedfordshire 6,686 420 6.3 6.1 
			 Essex 42,988 2,970 6.9 3.7 
			 Hertfordshire 36,600 1,320 3.6 3.0 
			 Luton 6,414 420 6.5 2.2 
			 Norfolk 27,110 1,460 5.4 4.8 
			 Peterborough 6,124 540 8.8 2.3 
			 Southend 8,243 460 5.6 4.6 
			 Suffolk 20,655 1,530 7.4 3.8 
			 Thurrock 5,069 330 6.6 5.8 
			  
			 South West 157,482 8,820 5.6 2.4 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 5,312 220 4.2 2.2 
			 Bournemouth 4,639 310 6.7 0.7 
			 Bristol 11,676 900 7.7 4.1 
			 Cornwall 17,076 970 5.7 0.8 
			 Devon 20,804 1,190 5.7 0.8 
			 Dorset 11,036 740 6.7 1.9 
			 Gloucestershire 18,556 740 4.0 4.2 
			 Isles of Scilly - - - - 
			 North Somerset 5,462 210 3.9 1.4 
			 Plymouth 9,258 620 6.7 0.8 
			 Poole 4,625 250 5.5 2.8 
			 Somerset 15,963 700 4.4 5.3 
			 South Gloucestershire 8,779 390 4.4 2.4 
			 Swindon 6,587 540 8.2 3.2 
			 Torbay 5,297 190 3.6 0.7 
			 Wiltshire 12,411 760 6.1 2.5 
			  
			  West Midlands 180,710 11,930 6.6 3.9 
			 Birmingham 34,897 2,690 7.7 3.2 
			 Coventry 10,743 740 6.9 2.8 
			 Dudley 13,081 640 4.9 4.6 
			 Herefordshire 5,263 310 5.9 3.3 
			 Sandwell 6,817 700 10.2 5.4 
			 Shropshire 7,689 360 4.7 3.2 
			 Solihull 9,178 560 6.1 3.6 
			 Staffordshire 28,782 1,470 5.1 3.7 
			 Stoke on Trent 8,055 790 9.8 5.6 
			 Telford and Wrekin 5,630 530 9.4 9.8 
			 Walsall 9,704 790 8.1 4.7 
			 Warwickshire 16,711 940 5.6 2.6 
			 Wolverhampton 8,067 610 7.6 6.2 
			 Worcestershire 16,093 890 5.5 3.1 
			  
			  East Midlands 145,443 8,000 5.5 3.8 
			 Derby city 9,385 670 7.1 5.0 
			 Derbyshire 21,117 1,580 7.5 3.8 
			 Leicester city 11,717 890 7.6 4.9 
			 Leicestershire county 20,185 790 3.9 4.0 
			 Lincolnshire 24,015 1,150 4.8 3.4 
			 Northamptonshire 21,894 1,140 5.2 2.1 
			 Nottingham 12,355 670 5.4 4.8 
			 Nottinghamshire 24,218 1,140 4.7 4.3 
			 Rutland 557 10 1.9 9.0 
			  
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 172,423 13,450 7.8 5.2 
			 Barnsley 7,466 590 7.9 6.2 
			 Bradford 15,847 1,360 8.6 4.2 
			 Calderdale 6,431 560 8.7 4.2 
			 Doncaster 10,460 780 7.5 4.6 
			 East Riding 9,061 510 5.6 8.3 
			 Kingston upon Hull 10,828 1,030 9.5 5.6 
			 Kirklees 14,403 1,350 9.4 4.7 
			 Leeds 24,237 1,990 8.2 10.9 
			 North East Lincolnshire 7,022 440 6.3 3.7 
			 North Lincolnshire 6,086 560 9.2 4.9 
			 North Yorkshire 15,537 680 4.4 1.3 
			 Rotherham 10,871 860 7.9 4.9 
			 Sheffield 15,967 1,360 8.5 3.7 
			 Wakefield 11,465 1,070 9.3 3.9 
			 York 6,740 290 4.3 1.9 
			  
			  North West 241,083 17,600 7.3 3.0 
			 Blackburn-Darwen 6,652 450 6.7 2.5 
			 Blackpool 7,506 500 6.7 2.6 
			 Bolton 8,496 900 10.6 5.3 
			 Bury 8,738 490 5.6 2.6 
			 Cheshire East 11,274 630 5.6 1.7 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 11,249 610 5.4 2.5 
			 Cumbria 16,603 750 4.5 2.5 
			 Halton 3,961 400 10.2 2.6 
			 Knowsley 4,127 440 10.6 2.5 
			 Lancashire county 35,931 2,550 7.1 2.9 
			 Liverpool 15,067 1,310 8.7 3.6 
			 Manchester 14,981 1,420 9.5 3.1 
			 Oldham 8,947 640 7.2 3.5 
			 Rochdale 5,972 610 10.2 2.8 
			 Salford 8,701 570 6.6 3.7 
			 Sefton 10,591 690 6.5 2.1 
			 St Helens 6,733 500 7.5 2.1 
			 Stockport 11,056 830 7.5 2.6 
			 Tameside 7,708 600 7.8 4.2 
			 Trafford 7,433 400 5.4 4.1 
			 Warrington 6,349 360 5.6 1.7 
			 Wigan 11,748 830 7.1 3.8 
			 Wirral 11,261 1,020 9.1 3.0 
			  
			  North East 89,885 8,090 9.0 4.2 
			 County Durham 15,888 1,570 9.9 4.1 
			 Darlington 5,032 360 7.1 2.4 
			 Gateshead 6,384 560 8.8 5.0 
			 Hartlepool 3,693 270 7.4 2.8 
			 Middlesbrough 6,558 630 9.6 2.5 
			 Newcastle 12,585 980 7.8 6.5 
			 North Tyneside 5,661 460 8.1 4.8 
			 Northumberland 9,510 690 7.3 3.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4,799 570 11.8 3.8 
			 South Tyneside 4,328 390 9.0 6.1 
			 Stockton on Tees 5,991 670 11.1 2.7 
			 Sunderland 9,455 900 9.5 4.3 
			 (1) 2009 data are an average of the figures provided by Connexions at the end of November 2009, December 2009 and January 2010. They include all young people known to Connexions who were aged 16, 17 or 18 at that time. (2) The number of 16 to 18-year-olds known to Connexions includes those whose education establishment is located in the local authority area, regardless of where the young person resides. (3) 16 to 18-year-olds known to be undertaking a gap year, or in custody, are not recorded by Connexions as NEET. (4) The number and percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET have been adjusted to assume a proportion of those whose current activity is not known are NEET. (5) The figures above cannot be compared with the DFE estimate of the proportion of young people NEET (SFR 20/2010). The DFE figures use a range of data from different sources to estimate the proportion of the population that is NEET, and relate to the young person's academic age.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Information Officers

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) press officers,  (b) internal communications officers,  (c) external communications officers,  (d) communications strategy officers and  (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: As at the date of the last communications benchmarking exercise on 31 March 2010, DECC had 30 professional communicators, working across a range of disciplines.
	As at the same date, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority had 17 professional communicators. Figures for other NDPBs were not available.
	DECC has no executive agencies.

Departmental Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether all new contracts his Department has tendered over £10,000 have been published with associated tender documents on the Contracts Finder website since its inception.

Gregory Barker: Since the inception of Contracts Finder the Department of Energy and Climate Change has advertised 22 procurements with a contract value of over £10,000 on the Suppy2Gov website. One complete set of tender documents has been placed on Contracts Finder. Currently there are no published contracts with associated tender documents on the Contracts Finder website.

Electric Cables

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with the national grid on its policy on undergrounding overhead high voltage electricity transmission lines.

Charles Hendry: Ministers and officials have ongoing discussions with national grid on its approach to undergrounding high voltage electricity transmission lines. These discussions have included a request from DECC to national grid to fund an independent and authoritative study to give clarity on the practicality, costs and impacts of undergrounding and subsea cabling as alternatives to overhead lines. This independent study is being undertaken by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and consultants KEMA, and will be owned by those two organisations. DECC is also engaging with national grid in relation to its consultation on its approach to undergrounding, which was launched in December 2010.

Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 477W, on energy, what mechanisms officials will use to decide appropriate compensation and corresponding benefits; and how he plans to achieve consistency across the treatment of cases.

Charles Hendry: The Department will implement the policy of no subsidy for new nuclear power in line with the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 18 October 2010,  Official Report, column 44WS.

Energy: Subsidies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of efforts to encourage the World Trade Organisation to promote transparency in energy subsidies; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	As part of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Doha trade round, negotiations are taking place aimed at strengthening multilateral disciplines on trade distorting subsidies. These negotiations are ongoing.
	The UK supports the EU position of seeking strengthened disciplines on trade distorting subsidies. Improving the notification of subsidies by WTO members would promote transparency and is an essential first step in securing greater multilateral control over trade distorting subsidies in all sectors, including those energy subsidies covered by WTO agreements.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of feed-in tariff payments for  (a) solar and  (b) wind installations have been paid on the measured input of electricity to the grid to date.

Charles Hendry: This information is not available within the Department until the end of year FITs Report is received from Ofgem. However, Ofgem have published data from the quarterly levelisation process up to 30 September 2010 which can be viewed at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/fits/Levelisation/Pages/Levelisation.aspx

Third Internal Energy Package

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish the guidance on the third party access requirement referred to in paragraph 5.16 of the Government's response to its consultation on the Implementation of the EU Third Internal Energy Package.

Charles Hendry: Guidance on third party access requirements for licence exempt gas and electricity distribution networks will be published as soon as possible after regulations have been laid.

Wind Power

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of constructing fossil fuel power stations to compensate for the intermittency of wind power generation in the period up to 2030.

Charles Hendry: The Department has not provided estimates of the cost of constructing fossil fuel power stations to compensate for intermittency in the period out to 2030. These costs would depend on a wide range of factors including the total volume and mix of fossil fuel capacity required as well as infrastructure construction and supply chain costs.
	Fossil fuel power stations are not the only way to provide back up for intermittent wind generation. There are a number of alternative solutions including responsive demand, interconnection and storage such as pumped storage, batteries and hydrogen, all of which are expected to play a role in the future energy mix.
	The Department has however published a number of studies which give estimates of the total cost of fossil fuel capacity under a range of renewables scenarios. These studies, the Redpoint Analysis (2009) and UK Renewable Energy Strategy: Impact Assessment for the Centralised Electricity Sector, are available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/whatwe_do/uksupply/energymix/renewable/res/res.aspx
	In this wider context, the Government are currently consulting on future Electricity Market Reform. This consultation is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/emr/emr.aspx

Wind Power

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely cost per kilowatt hour of fossil fuel-powered generation to provide back-up for the intermittency of wind power generation in 2030.

Charles Hendry: The Department has not provided estimates of the cost per kilowatt hour of fossil generation in 2030 to provide back up to intermittency. In principle this would depend on a range of factors including the fixed costs of the plant, and the prevailing wholesale fuel price.
	Fossil fuel power stations are not the only way to provide back up for intermittent wind generation. There are a number of alternative solutions including responsive demand, interconnection and storage such as pumped storage, batteries and hydrogen, all of which are expected to play a role in the future energy mix.
	The Department has however published a number of studies which give estimates of the total cost of fossil fuel capacity under a range of renewables scenarios. These studies, the Redpoint Analysis (2009) and UK Renewable Energy Strategy: Impact Assessment for the Centralised Electricity Sector, are available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/whatwedo/uk_supply/energymix/renewable/res/res.aspx
	In this wider context, the Government are currently consulting on future Electricity Market Reform. This consultation is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cins/consultations/emr/emr.aspx

CABINET OFFICE

Charitable Donations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of trends in charitable giving by  (a) corporations and  (b) individuals in the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information is as follows:
	 (a) As part of the Giving Green Paper published in December 2010, levels of corporate donations were assessed. Drawing on data from the Charity Market Monitor, the assessment found that in 2008-09 corporate donations to charity ranged from under 1% to 48% of pre-tax profits. On average, in over 80% of industries, donations by firms were less than 1% of pre-tax profits. In terms of amounts donated, companies in the pharmaceutical industry gave the largest amounts. Trends in corporate giving were not assessed as part of the Giving Green Paper.
	 (b) The Giving Green Paper, published in December 2010, cited analysis carried out by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). The assessment found that over the last six years, average amounts donated to charity by individuals have risen largely in line with GDP growth. In 2009-10, 28.4 million adults (56%) donated to charity in a typical month. We do not hold data showing donations over the last 30 years.

Childbirth

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which maternity units recorded fewer than 200 live births in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking which maternity units recorded fewer than 200 live births in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
	Figures on live births by hospital can be compiled from birth registration data for England and Wales that are held by the Office for National Statistics. In this dataset, information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration (usually a parent) rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	The attached document provides a list of maternity units in England and Wales with fewer than 200 live births occurring in 2009, the latest year available.
	
		
			  Maternity units in England and Wales where fewer than 200 live births occurred in 2009 
			   Communal establishment name  Town/c ity 
			 1 Andover Birth Centre Andover War Memorial Hospital Andover 
			 2 Berwick Infirmary Berwick-on-Tweed 
			 3 Brecon War Memorial Hospital Brecon 
			 4 Bridgnorth Hospital Northgate Bridgnorth 
			 5 Bridgwater Hospital Bridgwater 
			 6 Bridlington and District Hospital Bridlington 
			 7 Bryn Beryl Hospital Pwllheli 
			 8 Chipping Norton War Memorial Hospital Chipping Norton 
			 9 Clacton and District Hospital Clacton on Sea 
			 10 Corbar Birth Centre Buxton Hospital Buxton 
			 11 Darley Birth Centre Whitworth Hospital Matlock 
			 12 Denbigh Infirmary Denbigh 
			 13 Dolgellau and Barmouth District Hospital Dolgellau Gwynedd 
			 14 Gilchrist Maternity Unit, Hartismere Hospital Eye 
			 15 Goole and District Hospital Goole 
			 16 Grantham and District Hospital Grantham 
			 17 Halstead Birthing Centre Halstead 
			 18 Helston Community Hospital Helston 
			 19 Hexham General Hospital Hexham 
			 20 Hillcrest Maternity Home Alnwick 
			 21 Holistic Birthing Centre Northwich 
			 22 Honiton Hospital Honiton 
			 23 Knighton Hospital Knighton 
			 24 Llandrindod Wells County War Memorial Hospital Llandrindod Wells 
			 25 Llanidloes War Memorial Hospital Llanidloes 
			 26 Ludlow Hospital (Maternity) Ludlow 
			 27 Malton Hospital Malton 
			 28 Montgomery County Infirmary Llanllwchaiarn Newtown 
			 29 Newton Abbot Hospital Newton Abbot 
			 30 Nuneaton Private Hospital Nuneaton 
			 31 Okehampton Community Hospital Okehampton 
			 32 Orthopaedic and District Hospital (Maternity) Oswestry 
			 33 Penrith Hospital Penrith 
			 34 St Marys Hospital Isles of Scilly 
			 35 St Peters Maternity Unit St Peters Hospital Shepton Mallet 
			 36 Tair Afon General Hospital Aberdare 
			 37 The Birth Centre, Tooting London 
			 38 The Fryatt Hospital Harwich 
			 39 The Wantage Hospital Wantage 
			 40 Tiverton and District Hospital Tiverton 
			 41 Tywyn and District War Memorial Hospital Tywyn Gwynedd 
			 42 Victoria Memorial Hospital Welshpool 
			 43 Wakefield Birth Centre Wakefield 
			 44 Wallingford Community Hospital Wallingford 
			 45 Whitby Community Hospital Whitby 
			  Note: This list is based on number of births from January to December 2009. It is likely that some small maternity units will have closed since 2009 and others may have opened. The list includes both NHS and private maternity units.

Citizens Advice: Manpower

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to support staffing levels in  (a) advice bureaux and  (b) other agencies which rely on volunteer staff.

Nick Hurd: Encouraging social action, including volunteering is one of the three aims of the Governments vision for a big society. In December 2010 the Government published the "Giving Green" paper, which sought to start a debate on how we can make social action a norm and encourage more people to give their time. The Green paper announced two new funds to increase volunteering which will support agencies that rely on volunteer staff. The two funds are:
	1. A £40 million volunteering match fund to encourage private sector investment in volunteering.
	2. A £42.5 million fund to support local volunteering infrastructure making it easier for people to find local volunteering opportunities.
	Citizens Advice Bureaux were also able to apply to the £100 million transition fund which will help civil society organisations delivering front-line services to become more resilient in the changing funding environment. The first round of payments to successful applicants will be made by the end of March 2011.
	In addition, the Cabinet Office is the lead coordinating body for the 2011 European year of volunteering. One of the main priorities for the year is to encourage and enable individuals to make a contribution within their communities and help social issues by volunteering.

Civic Society Initiatives

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what comparative research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on approaches to civic society initiatives in other countries.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not commissioned or formally evaluated research into approaches to civic society initiatives in other countries. However, the Department continues to look to other countries to identify examples of such initiatives, and to learn lessons in best practice to inform ongoing policy development in this area.

Community Relations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect of levels of inequality on levels of social cohesion and social trust.

Nick Hurd: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any research on the effect of levels of inequality on levels of social cohesion and social trust.
	 (b) The Cabinet Office has not evaluated any research on the effect of levels of inequality on levels of social cohesion and social trust.

Community Relations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of relative levels of social capital in each socio-economic group.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of relative levels of social capital among socio-economic groups.

Deaths: Carbon Monoxide

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths attributable to poisoning from carbon monoxide there were in each age decile in each local authority area in each of the last 15 years.

Nick Hurd: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking:
	How many deaths attributable to poisoning from carbon monoxide there were in each age decile in each local authority in each of the last 15 years. (38590)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where the toxic effect of carbon monoxide was the cause of death by 10-year age group (Table 1), for England and Wales, from 1995 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	Numbers of deaths by age group for local authorities have not been given in line with the current ONS policy on protecting confidentiality within birth and death statistics.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with a cause of carbon monoxide poisoning, by age group, England and Wales, 1997  to  2009( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   0-9  10-19  20-29  30-39  40-49  50-59  60-69  70-79  80+ 
			 1995 18 14 228 264 247 132 80 59 46 
			 1996 18 18 204 257 243 126 71 58 52 
			 1997 13 31 170 205 184 109 54 58 49 
			 1998 10 11 120 197 154 114 48 52 35 
			 1999 11 15 100 176 147 104 46 58 50 
			 2000 12 12 91 154 101 92 38 39 37 
			 2001 9 14 70 112 108 83 32 30 45 
			 2002 10 7 49 112 119 79 31 18 27 
			 2003 7 8 49 89 89 62 29 25 28 
			 2004 7 8 47 104 77 53 28 28 22 
			 2005 4 5 20 64 62 39 26 15 28 
			 2006 12 5 12 51 79 51 16 19 16 
			 2007 2 1 34 50 51 41 33 18 21 
			 2008 2 0 13 31 58 52 23 13 26 
			 2009 4 5 18 34 71 41 23 21 19 
			 (1) Cause of death from carbon monoxide poisoning was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 986 for the years 1995 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58 for the years 2001 to 2009, where these codes appeared as the secondary cause. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Deaths: Prostate Cancer

Robert Buckland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many deaths from prostate cancer there were in  (a) England,  (b) each primary care trust area and  (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10;
	(2)  what the age-standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in  (a) England,  (b) each primary care trust area and  (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
	1. How many deaths from prostate cancer there were in (a) England, (b) each primary care trust area and (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10. (38809)
	2. What the age-standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in (a) England, (b) each primary care trust area and (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10. (38811)
	Tables 1 to 3 provide the number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, in (a) England (Table 7), (b) each primary care organisation in England (Table 2) and (c) each parliamentary constituency in England (Table 3), for the years 1997 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	Tables 4 to 6 provide the age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000, where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, in (a) England, for the years 1997 to 2009 (the latest year available) (Table 4), (b) each primary care organisation in England, for the years 2001 to 2009 (the only period available) (Table 5), and (c) each parliamentary constituency in England, for the years 2001 to 2007 (the only period available) (Table 6).
	A copy of Tables 2, 3, 5 and 6 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	Figures are provided for calendar years (January to December) to be consistent with routine mortality outputs.
	Mortality rates for primary care organisations and parliamentary constituencies can only be calculated for the periods given due to the availability of population estimates. Boundary changes to parliamentary constituencies implemented in May 2010 are not reflected in the population estimates currently available for parliamentary consistencies. Figures have therefore been provided for the former boundaries.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, England, 1997  to  2009( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) 
			  Males 
			   Deaths 
			 1997 7,982 
			 1998 8,074 
			 1999 8,015 
			 2000 7,761 
			 2001 8,305 
			 2002 8,471 
			 2003 8,570 
			 2004 8,531 
			 2005 8,492 
			 2006 8,506 
			 2007 8,659 
			 2008 8,597 
			 2009 8,842 
			 (1) Cause of death for prostate cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 185 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C61 from 2001 onwards. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Figures for England exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4. Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 males, where prostate cancer was the underlyin g cause of death, England, 1997 to  2009( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4,)( )( 5) 
			  Males 
			   Rate per 100,000 
			 1997 28 
			 1998 28 
			 1999 27 
			 2000 26 
			 2001 27 
			 2002 27 
			 2003 27 
			 2004 26 
			 2005 26 
			 2006 25 
			 2007 25 
			 2008 24 
			 2009 24 
			 1 Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. 2 Cause of death for prostate cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 185 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C61 from 2001 onwards. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (4) Figures for England exclude deaths of non-residents. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Deaths: Prostate Cancer

Robert Buckland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the age-standardised incidence rate for prostate cancer is; and how many diagnoses of prostate cancer there were in  (a) England,  (b) each strategic health authority area,  (c) each primary care trust area and  (d) each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the age-standardised incidence rate for prostate cancer is; and how many diagnoses of prostate cancer there were in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority area, (c) each primary care trust area and (d) each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer (incidence) are for the year 2008. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	Cancer incidence rates can only be calculated from 2002 onwards for strategic health authorities, from 2001 for primary care organisations and from 2001 to 2007 for parliamentary constituencies due to the availability of population estimates for these areas.
	Boundary changes to parliamentary constituencies implemented in May 2010 are not reflected in the population estimates currently available for parliamentary constituencies. New population estimates for 2008 and 2009 and revised estimates for 2002 to 2007 will be published on 23 February 2011. These will reflect the boundary changes that came into effect in May 2010 and will also be comparable with the revised Local Authority mid-year population estimates published in 2010.
	The number of prostate cancer cases in each parliamentary constituency has not been given for individual years, in line with ONS policy on protecting confidentiality within patients' data.
	The tables provide:
	(a) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population (Table 1), and the number of diagnoses (incidence) (Table 2) of prostate cancer in England, for the years 1997 to 2008.
	(b) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population, for prostate cancer, for strategic health authorities in England for the years 2002 to 2008 (Table 3), and the number of diagnoses (incidence) for prostate cancer for strategic health authorities in England for the years 1997 to 2008 (Table 4).
	(c) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population, for prostate cancer, for primary care organisations in England for years 2001 to 2008 (Table 5) and the number of diagnoses (incidence) for prostate cancer for primary care organisations in England for years 1997 to 2008 (Table 6).
	(d) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population, for prostate cancer, for parliamentary constituencies in England for the years 2001 to 2007 combined (Table 7), and the number of diagnoses (incidence) for prostate cancer for parliamentary constituencies in England for combined years 1997-02 and 2003-07 (Table 8). Figures presented in Table 8 were extracted using the old parliamentary constituency boundaries, pre-May 2010, to be comparable with Table 7.
	A copy of Tables 5, 6, 7 and 8 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The cancer incidence figures for England match the published figures for the latest year of incidence, in this case for the year 2008. The cancer incidence figures for previous years, in this case 1997 to 2007, differ from those in the Annual Reference Volumes Series MB1 "Cancer statistics registrations, England" because the figures in this answer were obtained from the National Cancer Registrations system which is a live database.
	The question asks for data by primary care trust. There are 147 primary care trusts, which are referred to (with the four care trusts and one care trust plus) as primary care organisations (PCOs, 152 in total). Figures have been provided for all primary care organisations.
	Primary care organisations have been listed under the strategic health authorities they report to. However, not all PCOs are entirely within the boundaries of the SHAs to which they report, so the sum of PCO incidences do not always equal the figure presented for an SHA.
	Tameside and Glossop PCT reports to North West SHA but is partly within East Midlands SHA.
	Lincolnshire PCT reports to East Midlands SHA but is partly within Yorkshire and the Humber SHA.
	Berkshire East PCT reports to South Central SHA but is partly within South East Coast SHA.
	Swindon PCT reports to South West SHA but is partly within South Central SHA.
	ONS has published population estimates for primary care organisations for 2001 to 2008, based on boundaries following the 2006 reorganisation. These estimates are consistent with the local authority estimates.
	ONS published population estimates for parliamentary constituencies for 2001 to 2007, as experimental statistics. Experimental statistics are in a testing or consultation phase and are not fully developed, and should therefore be treated with caution. Further information about experimental statistics can be found at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=173
	With the exception of figures presented for parliamentary constituencies, figures were extracted using the latest boundaries for consistency. This means that figures for past time periods can sometimes differ from those previously published by ONS for those periods, where boundaries have changed over time.
	
		
			  Table 1. Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, prostate cancer, males, England, 1997  to  2008( 1, 2, 3) 
			  England  Cases per 100,000 (males) 
			 1997 71 
			 1998 72 
			 1999 78 
			 2000 85 
			 2001 96 
			 2002 96 
			 2003 96 
			 2004 103 
			 2005 99 
			 2006 103 
			 2007 100 
			 2008 98 
			 (1) Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (3) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 .  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostrate cancer, males, England, 1997  to  2008( 1, 2) 
			  England  Registrations (males) 
			 1997 20,006 
			 1998 20,480 
			 1999 22,387 
			 2000 24,593 
			 2001 28,015 
			 2002 28,246 
			 2003 28,503 
			 2004 30,975 
			 2005 30,053 
			 2006 31,476 
			 2007 31,236 
			 2008 30,893 
			 (1) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3. Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, prostate cancer, males, strategic health authorities in England, 2002-08( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			  Cases per 100,000 (males) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 North East 90 97 86 93 86 87 83 
			 North West 88 90 108 101 104 97 90 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 89 90 101 97 102 101 96 
			 East Midlands 84 82 94 99 102 102 97 
			 West Midlands 102 102 109 104 107 99 102 
			 East of England 99 96 99 102 101 102 104 
			 London 97 97 100 95 99 103 102 
			 South East Coast 89 89 94 91 96 94 92 
			 South Central 110 107 116 100 108 102 94 
			 South West 110 111 116 104 111 112 106 
			 (1) Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (3) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (4) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer, males, strategic health authorities in England, 1997  to  2008( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Males 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 North East 902 1,066 1,235 1,249 1,417 1,406 1,504 1,369 1,475 1,394 1,424 1,377 
			 North West 2,555 2,627 2,841 3,107 3,659 3,535 3,632 4,403 4,183 4,334 4,081 3,876 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,861 1,828 1,943 2,399 2,678 2,664 2,713 3,063 2,968 3,175 3,179 3,050 
			 East Midlands 1,465 1,531 1,751 1,973 2,162 2,194 2,161 2,543 2,694 2,847 2,888 2,818 
			 West Midlands 2,093 2,254 2,416 2,745 3,109 3,257 3,303 3,564 3,457 3,591 3,371 3,506 
			 East of England 2,286 2,289 2,646 2,986 3,290 3,396 3,341 3,492 3,617 3,675 3,733 3,945 
			 London 2,616 2,678 2,768 2,843 3,155 3,199 3,184 3,296 3,152 3,260 3,397 3,377 
			 South East Coast 2,102 2,018 2,264 2,341 2,522 2,382 2,415 2,548 2,470 2,634 2,623 2,613 
			 South Central 1,491 1,651 1,831 2,074 2,392 2,407 2,368 2,615 2,279 2,499 2,416 2,302 
			 South West 2,635 2,538 2,692 2,876 3,631 3,806 3,882 4,082 3,758 4,067 4,124 4,029 
			 (1) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year.

Ethnic Groups: Greater London

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the ethnic minority population of each  (a) borough and  (b) ward in London;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the size of the ethnic minority population of  (a) London,  (b) the London borough of Merton and  (c) Merton Park ward;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of people in each ethnic group in each council ward in the London borough of Merton.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions.
	The term 'ethnic minority' is used in different senses. ONS practice is to use the term to mean 'ethnic group other than White British'.
	The most appropriate source of information on the population by ethnic group for London boroughs is the Population Estimates by Ethnic Group. The latest estimates from this source relate to 2007 and are shown for London and its constituent boroughs, including Merton, in Table 1 below (38283a, 38459a,b).
	The latest estimates of the population by ethnic group for wards are those from the 2001 Census. The census estimate of the total 'ethnic minority' population for Merton Park ward, together with the corresponding census estimates for Merton and London for reference, are shown in Table 2 below (38459c).
	The census estimates of the 'ethnic minority' population for all wards in London, together with the corresponding census estimates for London boroughs for reference, are provided in a table lodged with the House of Commons library (38283b).
	The census estimates of the population in each ethnic group for each ward in Merton are provided in a table lodged with the House of Commons library (38460).
	The Census estimates contained in these tables are also available, or can be derived from, table KS06 in the Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales and Key Statistics for Wards in England and Wales reports held in the House of Commons library.
	 Annex
	
		
			  Table 1: Estimated 'ethnic minority' population( 1)  of London and constituent local authorities, 2007( 2) 
			  Thousand 
			  Area  Total population  'Ethnic minority' population( 1) 
			 London 7,556.9 3,195.1 
			 City of London 8.0 2.5 
			 Barking and Dagenham 166.9 51.0 
			 Barnet 329.7 141.9 
			 Bexley 222.1 39.1 
			 Brent 270.0 184.7 
			 Bromley 300.7 55.2 
			 Camden 231.9 110.5 
			 Croydon 339.5 141.9 
			 Ealing 305.3 165.7 
			 Enfield 285.1 123.9 
			 Greenwich 223.1 77.4 
			 Hackney 209.7 108.1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 172.5 67.8 
			 Haringey 224.7 114.6 
			 Harrow 214.6 114.5 
			 Havering 228.4 31.0 
			 Hillingdon 250.7 85.2 
			 Hounslow 220.6 104.8 
			 Islington 187.8 76.5 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 178.6 88.2 
			 Kingston upon Thames 157.9 46.9 
			 Lambeth 273.2 121.4 
			 Lewisham 258.5 115.8 
			 Merton 199.3 79.5 
			 Newham 249.6 168.9 
			 Redbridge 254.4 124.6 
			 Richmond upon Thames 180.0 45.8 
			 Southwark 274.4 130.2 
			 Sutton 185.9 40.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 215.3 119.5 
			 Waltham Forest 222.3 105.0 
			 Wandsworth 281.8 94.2 
			 Westminster 234.1 118.4 
			 (1) 'Ethnic minority' is defined here as all ethnic groups other than 'white British'. (2) Estimates relate to mid-year (30 June 2007).  Source: Population Estimates by Ethnic Group, Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: 2001 Census estimates of the 'ethnic minority' population( 1)  of London, Merton and Merton Park  W ard, 2001( 2) 
			  Thousand 
			  Area  Total population  'Ethnic minority' population( 1) 
			 London 7,172.1 2,884.2 
			 Merton 187.9 67.5 
			 Merton Park 9.1 2.9 
			 (1) 'Ethnic minority' is defined here as all ethnic groups other than 'white British'. (2) Estimates relate to Census day (29 April 2001).  Source: Table KS06, 2001 Census, Office for National Statistics

Internet

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect of use of the internet on levels of social capital.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has neither commissioned nor evaluated any such research.

Job Security

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect of (i) economic trends and (ii) trends in job security on levels of social trust.

Nick Hurd: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any research on the effect of economic trends and trends in job security on levels of social trust.
	 (b) The Cabinet Office has not evaluated any research on the effect of economic trends and trends in job security on levels of social trust.

Mutual Pathfinder Fund

Chris Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many applications his Department received to its mutual pathfinder fund to 31 January 2011.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office does not have a specific initiative known as the 'mutual pathfinder fund'. However, there are two related areas of work which may be relevant:
	 The Mutual Support Programme:
	The Government have committed to investing at least £10 million in support for some of the most promising and innovative mutuals in order that they reach the point of investment readiness from spring 2011. The programme is not currently open and therefore has not received any applications.
	 Mutual Pathfinders:
	Leading experts, such as Co-ops UK, the Employee Ownership Association and Local Partnerships, as well as Cabinet Office and other Government Departments, are receiving and processing requests for information, support and guidance about opportunities for mutualisation. Mutualisation projects are being driven by employees across the public sector. The Cabinet Office pathfinder programme includes cross-section of 21 projects to build awareness of these opportunities. Pathfinders do not receive any financial assistance from Cabinet Office, as such there is a not a formal applications process for becoming a Cabinet Office mutual pathfinder.

New Businesses

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses have been established in each region since June 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many new businesses have been established in each region since June 2010.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, information is not available for periods later than 2009. The table below contains the latest statistics, which show the number of enterprise births in 2009 by Government Office Region.
	
		
			  Enterprise  b irths 2009 by Government  office region 
			   Number 
			 North East 6,625 
			 North West 23,920 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 17,005 
			 East Midlands 14,860 
			 West Midlands 18,245 
			 East of England 23,535 
			 London 50,575 
			 South East 36,320 
			 South West 17,945 
			 Wales 8,325 
			 Scotland 14,725 
			 Northern Ireland 3,945 
			 Total 236,025

Occupations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on levels of social trust in each major occupational group.

Nick Hurd: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any specific research into levels of social trust among major occupational groups.
	 (b) The Cabinet Office has not made a recent assessment of levels of social trust among major occupational groups.

Social Trust

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department has made of  (a) levels of and  (b) trends in social trust in the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of levels of social trust in the last 30 years.
	 (b) The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of trends in social trust in the last 30 years.

Social Trust

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on levels of (i) formal and (ii) informal sociability in the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has neither commissioned nor evaluated any such research.

Social Trust

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of social trust to the development of the big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The big society is about building stronger communities, strengthening the links between individuals and enabling them to come together to solve problems in their local area. This will build on and develop existing levels of social trust, and Government will maintain ongoing relationships with communities as policy is developed.

Trading Systems

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of local exchange trading systems since 1990.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has made no such assessment.

Voluntary Organisations

Esther McVey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment has been made of the relationship between the private and voluntary sectors as part of the Government's big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The business community has a vital role in the development of the big society and already makes a significant contribution in supporting local voluntary and community organisations in a range of ways: sharing assets and expertise, philanthropic donations, and exchange of staff. For example, the Prime Minister has called on businesses to train 1,000 'Business Connectors' who can help voluntary and community organisations become more innovative and entrepreneurial.

Voluntary Organisations

Esther McVey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account will be taken of corporate social responsibility as part of the Government's big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: Business will play a crucial role in helping to build the big society: we need the commitment, creativity and innovation of businesses to help tackle the challenges that confront us. That is why the Government have launched 'Every Business Commits', which asks business to do its part not just in creating economic growth but also by adding its expertise to tackling social problems and building stronger communities. Every Business Commits goes beyond corporate social responsibility and calls on businesses to help create a more sustainable and community-centred approach to doing business. This might include investing in future skills, protecting the environment, supporting their local community, investing in employee wellbeing, and encouraging the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which organisations have participated in consultation exercises related to the Government's big society initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office maintains close relationships with many organisations in relation to the big society. In particular, two recent Green Papers on 'Modernising Commissioning' and on 'Giving', and a consultation on 'Supporting a Stronger Civil Society' have drawn in a very good mix of responses from frontline civil society organisations, local authorities and other public sector organisations, private businesses and individuals, and academics.
	Summaries of these consultations will be published in due course.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what  (a) opinion polls and  (b) research his Department has commissioned on its big society initiative; and if he will publish the results of each.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any opinion polls relating to Big Society. However, the Department is commissioning a series of evaluations to assess the effectiveness of policy initiatives relating to building a stronger civil society. For example, the Office for Civil Society is currently commissioning an evaluation of National Citizen Service; the flagship initiative to support young people in becoming active and responsible citizens. This evaluation is due to commence in spring 2011 and will assess the effectiveness of both the 2011 and 2012 pilots in building a more responsible, cohesive and engaged society.
	It is currently too early to publish results from such research, however in line with the Government's commitment to transparency, all research reports will be fully published, as they become available, at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials in his Department are engaged in work related to the Government's big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The Office for Civil Society (OCS) leads the Government's contribution to building the big society. It works right across Whitehall and beyond to translate the big society vision into practical policies and deliver a radical change in the relationship between the citizen and the state.
	On 31 December 2010, 86 members of the OCS were working on the big society issues. Staff work on a broad range of policy areas and are currently engaged on piloting the National Citizens Service with 30,000 young people, building the big society bank, training 5,000 community organisers, delivering the £100 million Transition Fund as well as policy development in the areas of philanthropy and giving, reforming public services, charity law, volunteering, social enterprise and social investment.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what public consultation activity his Department is undertaking on the big society initiative; and how much his Department has allocated for such activities in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office maintains close relationships with key stakeholders as policy is developed.
	The Giving Green Paper launched in December 2010 is a public consultation document that forms part of the Big Society approach. Anyone with an interest in this paper can respond by 9 March 2011. The Modernising Commissioning Green Paper consultation closed on 5 January 2011. The Supporting a Stronger Civil Society consultation closed on 6 January 2011.
	The costs of these consultations are absorbed into the running costs of the Department, as an essential part of the policy development process.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what targets his Department has set to measure progress in its big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The big society is about building stronger communities, strengthening the links between individuals and enabling them to come together to solve problems in their local area. There are no targets in place to measure big society, although officials are considering innovative ways of tracking the progress of big society, without imposing reporting burdens on local initiatives.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will assess the effects on the development of the Government's big society initiative of changes in the level of social cohesion in areas subject to de-industrialisation.

Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
	The development of the big society is part of the Government's agenda to decentralise power to local areas. The Localism Bill, currently receiving parliamentary scrutiny, sets out many of the provisions which will underpin this process. Decisions on local issues affecting social cohesion will be increasingly put into the hands of local communities, and the measures we are taking to encourage local transparency of local government services, data, and expenditure will further enable these communities to take an informed role in these decisions, and assess progress locally.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will assess the effects of trends in social trust in the British Social Attitudes Survey in the last 20 years in the context of the development of the big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not made a recent assessment of the trends in social trust in the British Social Attitudes Survey over the last 20 years. However, the Department is constantly reviewing sources of evidence relating to the development of the big society, and will continue to incorporate data from a number of sources, including the British Social Attitude Survey, to inform this analysis.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of levels of volunteering among  (a) children and  (b) young adults; and whether he plans to promote volunteering to each such group.

Nick Hurd: Levels of volunteering in young people is measured by the Citizenship Survey. In December 2010 the Government published the "Giving Green Paper", which sought to start a debate about how we can make social action and volunteering a social norm for all ages. The Green Paper announced over £80 million available over the next four years to promote volunteering.
	The Government are also investing in National Citizen Service, which will promote volunteering and community action. This flagship project is aimed at young people aged 16 and will combine outdoor activities and social action projects designed by the participants, both in their communities and away from home. Over 11,000 young people will have the opportunity to take part in a pilot NCS scheme over the summer.
	For young people specifically, the Cabinet Office will also continue to provide financial support to the youth volunteering charity, v during the 2010 spending review period.

Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the Office for National Statistics collects on the average number of hours per day people aged between  (a) five and 15 years,  (b) 16 and 19 years and  (c) 20 and 25 years spend alone.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what information ONS collects on the average number of hours per day people aged between (a) five and 15 years, (b) 16 and 19 years and (c) 20 and 25 spend alone (38384).
	In 2000, ONS conducted the UK Time Use Survey, which aimed to measure the amount of time spent by the UK population on various activities and who they were with when undertaking those activities. Children under the age of 8 were not included in the survey. The wording of the questionnaire means that one cannot distinguish between spells when children were alone and when they were with people they did not know.
	ONS published figures only for the following age groups: 8 to 13 years, 14-15 years and 16 years and above. It showed that people aged:
	8 to 13 years spent an average of 35 minutes per person per day, alone or with people they did not know;
	14 to 15 years spent an average of 81 minutes per person per day, alone or with people they did not know;
	16 or over spent an average of 194 minutes per person per day, alone or with people they did not know.
	This is the latest information available.
	The Time-Use Survey, ONS.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=9326

Young People: Television

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate the Office for National Statistics makes of the average number of hours per day spent by  (a) boys and  (b) girls on watching television.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question relating to average number of hours per day spent by (a) boys and (b) girls in watching television (38385).
	In 2000, ONS conducted the UK Time Use Survey that aimed to measure the amount of time spent by the UK population on various activities. The survey showed that on average:
	boys aged between 8 and 15 spent 134 minutes per day watching TV and an additional 6 minutes watching videos or dvds.
	girls aged between 8 and 15 spent 131 minutes per day watching TV and an additional 7 minutes watching videos or dvds.
	In 2005 a further time use diary was collected on a much smaller scale, using a pre-coded diary as part of the NS Omnibus survey. This survey only asked questions to adults.
	The Time-Use Survey, ONS.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=9326